


Something Worthwhile

by OMsRandomWriter



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005), Torchwood
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Doctor Who: The Clockwise Man, Doctor Who: The Monsters Inside, F/F, F/M, Gen, It's Doctor Who tagging Time Travel is kinda irrelevant at this point lmao, M/M, Not Quite a Time Traveller's Wife AU but it has certain aspects of it, OC from another dimension, Repple has still yet to reappear lmao but don't worry he's coming back, Slow Burn, This story covers the books as well as the episodes, Yo whaddup Chloe's now part of Torchwood 3 so expect more Jack I guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:06:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 35
Words: 119,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24227068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OMsRandomWriter/pseuds/OMsRandomWriter
Summary: After dying in a car accident and waking to find a new life waiting for her in the past, Chloe Nightingale has a tough road ahead of her. Left on Earth years before the NuWho series starts and living beside the Tylers in Powell Estate, there always seems to be a Doctor around the corner to keep her company until the right regeneration asks her at the right time to travel with him.
Relationships: Amy Pond/Rory Williams, Eleventh Doctor/Original Character(s), Jack Harkness & Original Female Character(s), Ninth Doctor/Original Character(s), Tenth Doctor/Original Character(s), The Doctor & Jack Harkness, The Doctor (Doctor Who) & Rose Tyler, The Doctor (Doctor Who)/Original Character(s), Thirteenth Doctor/Original Character(s), Twelfth Doctor/Original Character(s)
Comments: 21
Kudos: 61
Collections: Harry_PotterxDoctor_Who_xSC





	1. Waking Up

**Author's Note:**

> After a few years of sitting on this story, hesitant to publish it, I've decided to add yet another WIP to my long list of published fics.
> 
> I've decided that, rather than do just the episodes, I'm also going to include the BBC novels. Using this list (http://eyespider.org.uk/drwho/ce/list.html), I have a timeline all set and planned, as well as a lot more 9th Doctor content, because he did not get enough screen time.
> 
> Chloe's face claim is Juliette Angelo, but with grey eyes instead of blue.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Main Character finds herself in a strange new world...

Her first reaction to the harsh light was to groan and roll away, which led to her falling off the bed only to be caught by thin, but strong arms.

“Easy there,” a male’s voice warned, her ears ringing a bit. “You had a bit of a nasty fall when you came in here Clo. What’s the last thing you remember?”

She felt her throat let out a gurgle as she forced her eyes open, blinking away the spots and squinting at the two(?) faces in front of her. What _was_ the last thing she remembered? “She doesn’t look too good. We should take her to a hospital, where she can get _proper_ treatment.” A female’s voice protested.

“There… was a-a crash,” she began, her voice a little rough. “A dump truck, it… it slammed into me… my head, it hurts.” Hands gently began to comb through her hair, stopping as she hissed, and from her limited vision, she could see a hand pull back to reveal-

“You have glass in your skull,” he stated, slowly. “I need you not to panic and answer me this question very seriously: Do you know who I am?”

Blinking, she squinted more, feeling her nose scrunch up as she did so. Slowly, his face filtered into view, making her pale as she looked around the room, feeling the panic rise as she took in everything. “Doctor,” the dark-skinned woman said, stepping forward from a few beds away. “She’s panicking.”

“This shouldn’t be real,” she finally answered. “None of this can be real! I-I’m dead, I have to be. I’m dead, oh god, the car crash killed me.” Hands gently guided her until she was facing the man again, who was looking at her with soulful brown eyes.

“This is it for you, isn’t it? The beginning of our story?” he seemed to breathe. “Who do you think I am, right now?”

“The Tenth Doctor,” she replied, a touch more quietly. “And the woman is Martha Jones, your companion. I… am I dead? Please…” She dropped off and hesitated. Did she _really_ want to know if she was dead?

“Yes,” he answered, letting go of her face and grabbing tweezers and what looked like an IV drip. She risked a glance towards her left arm where, yep, a connection was already in. “At least in your original dimension you are. It took impeccable timing to get your body out of the crash just after your heart stopped but before your neck broke. I never got why you humans put those airbags behind and beside your heads.”

“I don’t design cars,” she bit back the rest of her sentence, tensing a bit as he picked up a tray and sat on the bed before pulling her head onto his lap.

“Stay still, and try not to move too much,” he instructed. For a few minutes, there was an awkward air as he moved her curls away while the medicine was still setting in, but once the pain died away, she felt a distant tugging and the sound of glass hitting the plastic tub.

“So… you’re the woman he was in the hospital with,” Jones began, uneasily. “Only… younger?”

“Time travel,” the Doctor answered. “Along with a pinch of circular paradox. Chloe told me when we first met that we saved her; didn’t realize how until…” he dropped off and from the corner of her eye, she saw him staring at her in a sad sort of way.

“How did we meet?” She whispered.

“Oh, I dropped Rose off to visit with her mother and you came running up like Daleks were after you. You had tickets to some concert she had wanted to go to before she ran off with Jimmy Stone; never went for obvious reasons. Apparently, once you heard the rotor you ran as fast as you could.”

“Time machine…” she mumbled. “Why did I have tickets… why was I near Powell?”

“You’re going to go live there once you’re fully healed,” she couldn’t stop her knee-jerk jolt at those words. “Careful!”

“Wait, so future her met you and said to, what, bring her to Powell to be some _estate girl_?” Jones scoffed, causing Chloe’s hand to clench. Her left palm burned like she had scraped it.

“Watch your words,” she snapped back. “You’re not earnin’ any girl scout points, honey.” There was a laugh that sounded a bit like a cough above her and when she looked, she _swore_ there was amusement in his eyes. “I’m still not convinced this isn’t a dream or the afterlife yet,” she told him.

“Quite right,” he sounded a bit rueful when he said this. “You’re going to get the shock of your life once you realize this is real.”

* * *

Once she was all properly healed, Chloe was handed off to a different Doctor, though she was sure them meeting as a bit more than a random shot in the dark. This new Doctor, 11, was a bit more easy-going when it came to her wandering around the TARDIS while he did… whatever he had done to set up a flat at Powell for her to live in.

“Right, so, one last send-off?” he offered her, grinning back at her as she perked up at the thought.

“If I go now I might not want to come back here,” she warned him, getting a sad but knowing nod in return. She watched from her borrowed chair as he walked around the console before she sighed. “Doctor, can I ask you something?”

“I believe you just did Chloe,” he replied, making her roll her eyes.

“Not like that you dummy,” she muttered, flushing a bit at his grin. “When will I see you again? Do I ever actually travel with you or…?” _Or am I Sarah Jane and this is my Aberdeen?_

“I think,” he said, flicking the last lever as they landed with a jolt. “You will definitely see me again.” He plucked a keychain with some silly green stress ball hanging off of it from the console and ushered her outside, where she could see the apartments just beyond the park they landed in. “Powell Estate, March 24th, 1998,” he said, grinning at her awed face. “Shall we go to your flat?”

“My flat,” she echoed, not really connecting the dots yet. “Wait, 1998?! _March_ of 1998? Doctor, I haven’t been born yet-,”

“About that,” he cut off, grabbing her hand, making her jolt slightly at his cold touch before walking with him. “You don’t exist, not technically. Chloe Nightingale was never born in this world, you just popped into existence today, all 23 and ready to defend the world.” She couldn’t stop her grin at his tone.

“But I’d be in my 30s by 2005,” she countered a bit hesitantly. “There has to be something you’re not telling me…?”

He didn’t answer, instead leading her up three levels, and she couldn’t help but feel like it felt familiar. As they stopped in front of the door, the one to her left opened and out stepped a curly-haired blonde that had the redhead’s heart freeze. “Rose, I’m leaving to go to the shop!” Jackie Tyler called before spotting her new neighbor. “Are you the ones who just moved in then?” She asked a bit too sweetly, and she had to remind herself, 1998, not as progressive as 2021.

“ _I_ just moved it,” Chloe corrected. “Matt wanted to see the new place before he moved,” she was well aware that her American accent stood out, but gave the woman a pleasant smile anyways. She always loved Jackie in the show, and she’d be damned if they weren’t friends. “Chloe Nightingale,”

“Jackie Tyler,” they shook hands and another blonde looked out the door.

“Mum you left-,” 12-year-old Rose Tyler began before spotting Chloe and the tweed-wearing Doctor as well. “Hello.”

“Hello,” she echoed, grinning a bit more. “Well, it’s nice to meet you both. We should, ah…” she motioned towards the apartment and the Tylers nodded, the elder going down the stairs while the younger closed the door. “If I wasn’t so shocked I’d slap you for putting me right beside those two,” she muttered to him, still grinning. After all, who could say they met Rose Tyler, Bad Wolf, and the Defender of the Earth?

As they entered the apartment, she blinked at the seeming openness of it. There was no wall separating the kitchen and living area, and as she peered into the two bedrooms, she saw the one to the left more to her tastes. In fact, all of it was to her tastes but it felt… impersonal. Like someone knew her and tried to copy her perfect house but failed somehow, she just… couldn’t figure out what it was just yet.

“It’s…” _unsettling_ , she finished in her head, but the Doctor just beamed like she said amazing and led her to the baby blue couch, his eyes holding a different emotion than his face. “What’s wrong?” she asked quietly.

“You aren’t human anymore,” she blinked rapidly and held her breath. “I couldn’t take your body from the car, so a construct was used instead. Your consciousness, feelings, and memories, they’re all real, but physically, your body isn’t. You don’t technically need sleep or breathe, and you won’t age. You won’t age until your mind merges and your body finishes it’s the transition from human to…” he trailed off and gave her a pointed look. “You’ve yet to take a breath.”

She exhaled and her eyes widened. “So what does this mean? How am I supposed to not get noticed if I don’t age?”

“Normally I’d say perception filter, but that would give you away to younger me instantly! Good genetics is the only way to go, but don’t worry,” he grinned at her and she felt something akin to a bubbly dread. “I’ll be coming back for a visit or two.”

“The way you just said that does _not_ reassure me,” she told him, getting a laugh as he stood and moved towards the kitchen area.

* * *

The next morning, there was a rapid knocking on her door, causing her to sit up from where she had been laying down on the bed, having not slept. Throwing a shaw over her shoulders, she shuffled down the hall and opened the door, blinking as she saw the thirteenth Doctor in front of her before the Time Lady pulled her into a tight hug.

"You're so young!" The blonde exclaimed, leaning back to look at her face before tugging on Chloe's red, curly hair. "I always liked your hair when it was curly."

"Um..." she blinked, still unsure what to do with the alien before stepping away, rubbing her neck. "I'd offer you tea but I don't trust myself in making it." she joked and, thankfully, the other woman smiled as well, stepping through the threshold and closing the door behind her.

"That's alright," she replied. "Besides, you've just got here. I imagine you had a rough time sleepin' then?" She blinked before nodding, letting her guide her into the living room where they sat on the couch.

"But yesterday, you said I didn't need to sleep," she said, tilting her head. The Doctor sighed and... patted her head?

"Technically, you don't, but sleep is always good, 'specially after a long or stressful day. Helps relax your muscles." she explained, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a wooden box. "I've been holding onto this for so long because I've never met a version of you who didn't have it yet. It's a music box with frequencies that help release enough melatonin for your body to properly sleep."

Gently taking the box, she could tell it felt old, but there was this agelessness about it... "Is this... Gallifreyan?" she hesitantly asked.

"When Clara was..." the Doctor answered, making Chloe grimace before glancing back down at the music box. Should she really have something like this? "Oh, don't look like that, please? It's just a simple sleep box. Very common."

"But still, it's from Gallifrey. You should have it," she argued, moving to hand the box back, but the Doctor shook her head, making sure Chloe kept the box in her hands.

"When I first saw this here, I thought you had to be someone important enough to me to risk crossin' my own timestream for. Besides, I only need roughly 4 hours every two weeks, and the TARDIS emits the same frequencies when someone's trying to sleep. She's clever like that." the redhead found herself grinning alongside the Time Lady, and as she ran her fingers over the box, she let out a soft noise.

"Do these visits happen often then?" she asked, unsure of how to feel. On one hand: holy shit, _the Doctor_ apparently makes personal house calls to just talk with her? But on the other: what if Rose somehow made the connection before she properly met the Doctor?

"Well, I couldn't give you a perception filter, so I have to make sure no one is gonna try and harm you or take notice to you too much." the said alien shrugged. "Expect me... once a week? Depending on the number, of course. Rubbish driver, my 11th self."

"Maybe if you hadn't whacked the TARDIS with a mallet," Chloe heard herself teasing.

"Oi!" The Doctor cried in mock-hurt and the two shared a look before bursting out into laughter.

* * *

About four months later, Jackie Tyler came to her one day with an odd request.

"I have to leave town next week, and our sitter can't come," she said, which, at first, Chloe sympathized with her, but as she continued, the redhead realized what was about to happen and mentally groaned. "You're a nice girl. Won't you please watch Rose while I'm gone?"

Oh, hell, there really wasn't any way Chloe could say no, was there? Jackie was the biggest gossip on Powell. If she said no, her already shaky reputation could easily go down the drain with a single phone call, and then all that attention on her and the Doctor? She couldn't risk it. So, she put on her best face and grinned. "Of course, Mrs. Tyler." She saw the blonde hesitate and tensed, waiting for the dreaded question.

"What bout those men who come and go every week?" she asked.

"I'm a specialized therapist," she answered, reciting the story she had been given. "The three men and woman you've seen are my only four clients, but that's because I'm specialized in a sense that the government branch they used to work for hired me specifically so that they can receive therapy without being a threat to government secrets." She saw the blonde blink before her words sank in.

"Well, I hope they're doing well then," she said. "Rose won't interrupt their sessions, will she?" Thinking back, Chloe could see who's week it was going to be and almost sobbed in relief.

"No, Peter usually has a quick session. I'll most likely bump his visit to when she's at school."

* * *

"His name was _what_?"

Chloe rolled her eyes at the twelfth Doctor's bemusement as she all but shoved the teacup into his hands before turning to make her coffee. "No, _your_ cover name is going to have to be Peter Capaldi. If all of you were called John Smith, Jackie would've gotten suspicious and raised the red flags, but different, definitely individual names? She accepted them at face value and wished you well, in fact."

Turning back, she didn't like the contemplative  look on his face. "Peter Capaldi," he mused. "How about a test run on that real quick?"

"For some reason I feel like that 'test run' is going to be quite a long time," she replied in a dry tone, getting an equally dry look.

* * *

Two years passed since Chloe came into the world, and she had the joy of being Rose Tyler’s official sitter while her mother had to go out of town a few times. While it was fun, and the two bonded more than the redhead had initially thought they would, it still set her nerves on end every time there was a knock on the door, unsure of which Doctor would try to convince her to join them on their next adventure.

One night, her nervousness was proven when a very blind 12 walked in, a confused Bill following a second later. “Oh,  _ no _ , please come in, yes, just go ahead and make yourself at home,” she found herself sassing, closing the door behind them with a huff.

“Don’t mind if I do,” the Doctor quipped back, sitting down on the couch, sonic glasses still firmly in place as his companion looked around a bit awkwardly. “Bill, meet Chloe.”

“She’s the one…” Bill trailed off, and she looked at her in confusion.

“I’m the one who?” she asked and realized she probably wasn’t going to get an answer. “Eh, it doesn’t matter, I guess. Tea? Fair warning, the water pipes are in need of replacing and I don’t want to risk y’all getting sick.” Bill shrugged while the Doctor ‘looked’ around as she quickly did her best to boil the bottled water. “So why are you here? Come to convince me to join you again?”

“Wait, he’s asked you  _ twice _ ?” Bill asked as she walked in, carefully balancing a tray. “And you said no?”

“Oh, Bill, sweet, sweet Bill, the Doctor has asked more than  _ twice _ . I’m just doing my best to maintain timelines and say yes to the right version,” she added, more towards him than anything. Handing them both the cups, she took her mug of coffee and rubbed her eyes.

“You haven’t been sleeping,” the Doctor announced half a second after she did it. “Why?”

“I don’t need to Doctor,” she reminded, perhaps a bit too gently at his scowl, making her sigh. “I… see the accident, every time I try to sleep.”

“Accident?” Bill asked, making the redhead turn a tired smile towards her. “What do you mean by you don’t need sleep?”

“There was a thought, sent out between seconds, that echoed through dimensions. ‘ _ I don’t want to die _ ’. There had been a car accident, and the driver was killed five seconds after impact. Between seconds four and five, the Doctor rescued me, and put me in a construct. Eating, drinking, sleeping, all that stuff, I don’t technically need to do it. Don’t really have the organs to do it, but I do it anyways.”

“For normalcy,” Bill murmured without asking why.

“I can see why you chose her,” Chloe remarked, taking another sip of her coffee. “Why are you here?” She asked again.

“Bill, I forgot Chloe’s gift in the TARDIS, can you go get it for me?” She raised an eyebrow at this (since when did the  _ Doctor _ give gifts?) but didn’t protest as the woman left, leaving the Doctor to lock her door with a sonic a few seconds after it shut.

“That’s rude Doctor,” she chided. “This is why you’ll never be ginger.”

“Perhaps,” a rare smile on his face, relaxed, and her heart melted a little at the sight, even as he took the sonic glasses off to reveal his blind eyes.

“God, do you purposefully make your regenerations handsome on purpose?” She found herself asking, moving to sit beside him on the couch. “Cause I swear, you know what you’re doing.”

“Ha, no,” he replied, but his tone was still off.

“Doctor, you know I don’t mind visits, but why are  _ you _ here? Shouldn’t you be guarding…  _ her _ ?” At her question, he shrugged and she let out a noise.

“In a few seconds,” he said, “you’ll be getting a visitor. And I’m sorry, for what’s going to be said over the next few weeks.”

_ Oh _ , she thought as there was a type of furious pounding at the door. “Doomsday?” she asked, but at the shake of his head, she frowned. “Huh… ok.” Getting up, she slowly walked towards the door, opening it up to reveal 9, who was getting ready to knock again. “Hello, who are you? Can I help you?”

“Cut the crap,” he snarled, making her blink. The TARDIS was translating swear words? “How long have you been here then? A month, two? Long enough to manipulate Jackie Tyler, no doubt.”

“I’m sorry?” Her eyebrows knitted together, and behind him, she could see Rose running up the way, looking out of breath. “Who are you?”

“Doctor, stop,” Rose wheezed. “Mum told her what I explained!”

“But that doesn’t explain how she doesn’t age, Rose! All non-sonic scans say she’s alien!” She couldn’t hide her small wince at that, mentally cursing the TARDIS for making the sonic wonky around her. “You know why. Tell me.” She heard the Tyler flat’s door begin to open and lunged forward, dragging both in and closing the door. A second later, from the peephole, she saw young Rose step out and look around curiously. Holding her breath, she waited for the girl to go back inside before turning towards the Time Lord with furious grey eyes.

“What the  _ hell _ were you thinking, bringing her here! You’re a right idiot for not realizing it’s summer and school isn’t in session!” She snarled, jabbing a finger into 9’s chest.

“You know who I am?” Rose whispered.

“Of course I bloody know who you are! My job is to guard you and make sure nothing happens to you,” she grumbled, pushing past the two and going into the living room, glaring at 12, who had pulled out a braille book. “Is this when I explain things?” she said, getting a short nod in return.

“Who sent you here?” 9 asked as she motioned for them to sit. Only Rose did, and it made her sigh.

“You did. Or, rather, your next two regenerations did.” she told him, noting the shock in his eyes. “About two years ago, a thought blared out across all dimensions between two seconds.”

“ _ I don’t want to die _ ,” 9 quoted. “I was at the signal area, it was complete dead space. Not even a dying star.”

“The thought came from the Alpha Universe,” she told him, and he, in turn, paled severely.

“Alpha Universe?” Rose asked, and 12’s lips twitched a bit.

“The Universe that started it all, the  _ original _ dimension. Our world is just a thought, an idea the people within it play with, creating stories from it,” 9 explained before noticing something with his future self. “Hang on, that book won’t be published for some more centuries.”

“Very astute,” 12 replied, and she saw the recognition on Rose’s face.

“Mr. Peter?” the 19 year-old asked, to which 12 smirked a bit.

“Oh, don’t start,” Chloe grumbled. “I regret even telling you your actor’s name. Then you had to go and start  _ using _ it. How was I supposed to know you'd… you'd _ imprint _ on it like a duckling.”

“You… you’re the one who sent the message. You’re from the Alpha Universe,” 9 breathed, making her grimace, but nod. “But why don’t you age?”

“Chloe did die,” 12 butted in. “A second after the message was blared, her body expired, and a second after that, her mind. It was tricky, pulling her mind from between seconds, but in the end, we were able to save her.”

Before 9 could make the connection, Chloe picked the story back up, sitting down beside 12. “I’m basically a construct. All of this is mostly for show. I do know sometime in the near future I get an actual body for myself,” she did her best to ignore Rose’s fearful look, knowing that the Gelth was still fresh for her. “But that’s most likely years, if not decades away. Until then, I’m perfectly content for staying here and experiencing things from afar.”

“You told me when I was growing up that you loved travellin’,” Rose said, hazel eyes narrowing.

_ Rosie, please don’t do this _ , she mentally begged, knowing she very well couldn’t say no to 9. He was  _ her _ Doctor, the one she fell in love with and the one she started on. “Things change,” she said, trying to think of when she said this.

“But you said it a month from now,”  _ Damnit _ , Chloe swore, seeing 12’s triumphet expression as 9 eyed her carefully. “What caused you to change your answer?”  Picking up her now cold cup of coffee, she pointedly looked away as she took a drink, folding her legs under her in attempts to look smaller. "Please?" She made the mistake of looking up and seeing Rose's puppy dog eyes.

Letting out a strangled noise, she flushed. “There’s one version of the Doctor I’ll never be able to say ‘no’ to if he were to ask me to travel with him, even if it was for one trip… Sometime between now and then… I’ll most likely go and travel with y-him for a while.” she almost said ‘ _ you guys _ ’, and wouldn’t that had been the biggest clue ever?

“One version?” The 19 year old echoed. “There’s more than one Doctor?” she started to turn towards 9, but Chloe’s laugh made her stop.

“Oh, you’ll know eventually Rosie,” she hummed, eyes flickering towards the leather clad man before looking away, doing her best not to bite her lip. “Do you two need anything else? Poor Bill is probably stuck outside cause  _ someone _ tripped the deadlock,” she once again scowled towards 12, who simply shrugged, and reached for his sonic glasses, slipping them on just as the two left, leaving Bill to come in a second later.

“Who was that then?” she asked as she held out a decently wrapped gift.

“Just a few friends,” Chloe hummed, taking it with a smile, still not moving away from 12.


	2. The Clockwise Man (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe goes on her first blind trip...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Clockwise Man is one of three novels set between World War Three and Dalek and takes place in 1924. Dialogue and descriptions have been taken from the novel and character reactions have been adjusted accordingly to add a third person.
> 
> Update schedule is partially unknown, only that when there's over half a chapter complete, the one before it will be published. I'm unsure how many chapters TCM will take, only that after it will be The Monster Inside. After that, Chloe goes back home to live through a few important events.

It was two weeks after the 9th Doctor and Rose confronted her that they came back, wearing the exact same thing.

"Let me guess, you were aiming for two hours," she quipped, getting a nod. "It's two weeks. You really need to take the driving test again Doctor."

"Two weeks? Rose echoed. "School just started then, yeah? Secondary?"

"First day," Chloe nodded, waving the chocolate bar a bit. "Figured you're going to need this. I know my time in high school was a right hellscape."

"It can't be that bad," the Doctor said, and both girls raised an eyebrow at him.

"You _never_ want to be locked in the same room as teenage girls for almost eight hours," Chole began, dead serious.

" _Especially_ if you're a girl yourself." Rose agreed, but not before trying to swipe one of the bars, making the redhead smack her hand away.

"No, Rose, they're for young you," she chided. "Why are you guys back anyways? Would've thought you went straight back to future me… or just went on to the next adventure."

"You said there was one regeneration of me you couldn't refuse a trip with," the Doctor began, his tone far too smug for her liking. "So how 'bout it? One trip to the future and one trip to the past?"

 _God damnit_ _,_ she mentally grumbled, hands going up to rub her face. "I… really don't like how smug you are about this," she told him, removing her right hand to glare at him. Rose's face pulled in confusion before realization dawned on her.

"So what makes him your favorite?" she asked, to which she gave her a dumbfounded look.

"Like I'm going to say that in his hearing range!" she immediately protested, standing up and grabbing her purse, making sure her id and phone were in it. "Right, you better make sure I'm back within three hours or I'll slap you straight to your 11th regeneration, got it?" she threatened, turning on her heel to point towards the semi-stunned Time Lord.

"This body is your favorite?" he asked in a tone she knew all too well, making her narrow her eyes.

 _I'll deal with that once Rose isn't in the room._ She thought to herself, shooing them out of her flat and locking the door behind her, catching sight of Jack down at the park. She did a small wave towards him and smiled when he waved back. "Go on ahead, I got to talk to my friend about something," the two nodded and they took different stairwells, the immortal man meeting Chloe halfway up. "You're certainly tempting fate Jack," she teased, welcoming his hug.

"It's good to see you again Chloe. Wanderlust finally hitting you?" he shot back, making her flush. "Oh, there's a familiar look! Take it the Doc finally asked you to do the one-one trip?"

"Yeah, and I don't know if I'll be able to stop when it's over," she answered, perhaps too softly as his features softened. "I know I have to maintain the timelines, but…"

"He's the Doctor that you love," Jack finished, making her nod. "Don't worry, you only have, what, five more years until he meets Rose?"

"Yeah," she murmured. "I should probably go, before he tries to find me and sees you instead." With a final hug, the two parted ways.

* * *

"Forwards or backwards?" were the first words she was greeted to as she slowly entered the TARDIS, taking in the sight of the darker Coral Desktop, so different to 10's, which was lighter in both tone and mood. She could hear the TARDIS purring in happiness as her hand curled around a pillar, and for a split second, she closed her eyes, drinking in the song the living machine was singing.

A hand clapped her arm, making her jump, eyes snapping open to see the Doctor looking at her in concern. "Sorry," she said, grinning a little. "Desktop changed a bit and she was just telling me how happy she was to see me again."

"You can hear the TARDIS?" He blinked, slowly grinning as she nodded. "Fantastic. So, Chloe Nightingale, forwards or backwards in time?" She blinked, glancing around, doing her best to remember 9's timeline. _Aliens of London/World War Three_ had just happened for them, and she knew there were a few books that had been set between the two parter and _Dalek_ , so either way, they'd be going in _blind_ because she hadn't been able to afford the novels and comics.

"Backwards?" She said, tone hesitant. "There's some adventures I haven't seen, Doctor. I think going forward or backwards right now will 100% provide something I can't help with."

"Help with as in?" Rose asked, making the redhead shrug.

"Not as many people suffer." she simply said, shifting at the Time Lord's dumbfounded look. "But if I really had to pick, I'd love to see some history. Ancient or recent, I don't care." After a second, he beamed and whipped around, the woman following him as he went over to the console and began to punch in a date.

"How's an exhibition sound then?" he asked, and she raised a brow.

"Will there be archeologists?" she asked, getting an amused look. "An exhibition sounds wonderful to me. Rose?" She was giving the blonde freedom to veto, and she made sure both of them knew it. Rather than say no, however, the blonde grinned.

"Sounds lovely." she agreed. "What year?"

"The 1920s," the Doctor said with a grin, and she was soon rushed away by the blonde towards the wardrobe.

"So, thoughts?" She asked, making Chloe shrug.

"I have seen this before Rose," she reminded her. "Perhaps not the wardrobe, mind you, but the TARDIS… she'll always be gorgeous." The ship let out a louder hum, as if thanking her, making the two women share a grin before Rose pulled her through a door and her breath left her. "Holy shit," she whispered, looking at the cavernous room in front of her. It kinda reminded her a bit of _Warehouse 13_ if she was being honest. A flickering caught her eye, and she turned to see what looked to be all sorts of 1920 clothes.

Moving forward, she frowned at some of the voices, unsure of what to choose before pausing on one. It was a simple, olive-ish green asymmetrical dress, a little bow on the waist where it was higher. With a content noise, she took it off the rack, hesitating as she realized she'd have to wear the time period correct shoes… which were heels. Grabbing a pair of plain, black Mary Jane heels, she went into a changing room, leaving her modern underwear on as she pulled the dress over and slipped the heels on. A basket was outside the room with a sticky note on it that simply said ' _will deposit in your room_ '. Shrugging, she put her jeans and t-shirt in there before making her way back to the console room, where she could hear Rose and the Doctor talking.

" _Are we nearly there yet?_ " Rose asked.

" _You sound like a kid on an outing_ _,_ " The Doctor replied in a teasing tone, making her snort as she crossed into the room.

"She is a kid on an outing," she argued, making Rose stick her tongue out at her.

"An outing back in time." The blonde agreed, smiling, making Chloe and the Doctor grin at her back.

"Yeah. Great, isn't it? It's 1924 out there. Or will be in a mo." He tapped on a control, making the redhead grip the railings as she leaned forward herself.

"And that's when the exhibition takes place?" she asked eagerly. "1924?"

"The British Empire Exhibition, yeah. Got to get a bit of culture now and then."

Rose let out a laugh. "Like a school trip. Tell me again - why do I want to see it?" the blonde teased, making Chloe shake her head as the doctor blinked in fake disbelief.

"Because your best mates are going." This time, she smirked towards him.

"So how come one of them doesn't have to dress up for it then?" she taunted, and he jolted.

For half a second, she thought she crossed a line before he grinned and gestured to his clothes. It was his usual leather jacket, faded slacks, and old combat boots, but he had a brown shirt on rather than the blue he had before. "Excuse me," he said. "New shirt." He turned away just as the redhead noted how Rose's nose did that crinkle; the one where she was exasperated yet amused. Moving over, Chloe turned her gaze to the dark screen of the scanner, watching as shapes slowly formed. "We could try infrared," he was murmuring. "But I don't think there's much heat out there."

"It's cold and we're in a scrapyard." Rose muttered, making Chloe blink and look at the scanner more closely.

The Doctor shrugged at this, and the redhead realized why she felt such deja vu looking at it. "I like scrapyards. Never know what you might find." He checked another device before pulling out a cute brown coat and tossing it to her, causing her to fumble and barely catch it. "You'll need that." he said before going to the doors and opening them.

"Reckon we'll meet anyone famous?" Rose wondered aloud, making the redhead purse her lips.

"In 1924?" she asked, hoping to specify a specific person, not that she had one in mind, mind you.

"They did have famous people then, right?" She questioned, more towards Chloe than the Doctor, but the Time Lord answered before she could.

"No television, but yeah, they did." his voice floated back, causing Rose to hurry after him. Chloe followed at a more sedated pace, giving the junkyard one last final glance.

It really did look like the one from _An Unearthly Child…_

* * *

Per usual, within the first five minutes of the adventure, they had already saved someone. "Here, let's see." Chloe helped guide the man down the pavement until they were under a streetlight. The Doctor gestured for their surprise victim to lift his head up. "It's all right, I'm a doctor." he said.

"Just not a medical one," Rose mumbled, making Chloe sigh and the Doctor glare at her. "So, is he ok?"

"Dickson, miss." the man mumbled.

"Mr. Dickson will be fine," the Time Lord said. "Lucky we got here when we did, though. Where do you live?"

"I am in service, sir, at the house over there." Dickson pointed to a large townhouse further down the street. Chloe could see that the side door was open and light was spilling out down the steps.

"Then let's get you back there." The Doctor stepped away, looking Dickson up and down. He frowned and reached for the man's hand, lifted it gently in his own to examine it in the light. He smiled, let the hand go, gestured for Dickson to lead the way. He took Dickson's arm to help him.

"What is it?" Rose asked quietly.

"You keep your gloves clean, Mr Dickson?"

"Of course, sir." He still sounded hoarse, his voice scraping in his throat. "Why?"

"Just they're a bit grubby now, after your little adventure. Another mystery."

"To go with 'who?' and 'why?'," Chloe said, tilting her head.

"To go with the fact that the marks on Mr Dickson's neck look like they were made by a metal implement, not fingers," the Doctor replied. "And that his gloves are stained with oil."

* * *

Chloe was nervous about letting Rose go off in a stranger's house alone, but she wasn't injured, and with not knowing what was going to happen, she was reluctant to leave the Doctor's line of sight for long. He seemed to share that notion, though she felt it was more because if something happened to her, Rose's and his timelines would be all types of screwed. By the five minute mark, her knee began bouncing just as Dickson entered the room, clean gloves on and a tray with glasses in hand. He walked rather stiffly, and she nodded her thanks as a simple glass of water was handed to her.

"Ah, Colonel Oblonsky, may I introduce Doctor and Mrs. Nightingale?" Sir George said, and oh god, things suddenly got mortifying immediately. Sending the amused Time Lord a panicked look, she quickly cleared her throat.

"I'm the Doctor's ward, Sir," she corrected before continuing silently, ' _and even if I were his wife, it wouldn't work out. He loves Patience, Rose and River, not me. Never me._ '

"My apologies, madam," the man quickly said, and she smiled and nodded, showing her forgiveness before turning towards the Colonel, Oblonsky, and stood, holding out a hand to shake. To her surprise, the man kissed the back of her hand, causing her to advert her eyes away from him. As he turned to talk to a new man, she made her way towards the Doctor, frowning at everyone in the room.

"Rose isn't back yet." she murmured. "The house isn't that big, is it?"

"No, but usually houses like these have hidden rooms, ones where you can spy on a party without being seen." he replied. "She probably got into there."

* * *

The mist was thickening as they made their way back down the street towards the yard where the TARDIS had landed. The gates were closed again, and to the Doctor's evident annoyance they were once more locked. He sighed and produced his sonic screwdriver from his coat pocket.

"I don't know what they're up to," he confessed, setting to work once more on the lock. "But they're certainly hiding something."

"Something that got Dickson attacked?' Chloe asked, something feeling off as she glanced around. The Doctor made a noncommittal sound and the lock clicked open.

"Sir George seemed to think so, only he wouldn't admit it." He pushed open the gate and stared into the darkness of the yard. Chloe stepped passed and inhaled sharply, instantly spotting what was wrong.

"Not that it matters to us, I guess," Rose said. "What do we do, sit around till morning or just move on?"

"It might matter a lot,' the Doctor said. He made no attempt to enter the yard, just stood there in the gateway, staring in. He gave the gate a shove so that it swung open, allowing Rose to see into the yard as well.

The empty yard.

"Because," the Doctor continued in the same matter-of-fact tone as the first rain began to fall, "it might be whoever attacked Dickson that took the TARDIS."

* * *

"You don't know what's happening?"

Chloe would've rolled her eyes at the Doctor's 10th interrogation, but she was too busy trying to look for any unfamiliar footprints around where the TARDIS used to be. "All I know," she said for the 10th time, "is that the TARDIS will be fine. I've told you this before: I couldn't afford the books, magazines and comics, so this is new to me too." After a few minutes, she shook her head and moved to follow Rose, who was looking down the streets within view.

"Maybe someone just took a fancy to it?" Rose suggested, making Chloe snort, remembering the whole Pompeii trip.

"Not likely. Big coincidence." He shot down, looking at her curiously. "Does it really get taken because someone took a fancy to it?"

"Later on," she admitted. "He thought it was 'modern art'. Right now though? Someone attacked Dickson and we saved him. Maybe that someone saw us arrive and thought we needed a good distraction."

"Got to be connected, hasn't it?" Rose asked.

The Doctor nodded several times rapidly. "Seems likely."

"And Sir George was afraid of someone or something. Thought it was a deliberate attack."

"Certainly deliberate. And motivated."

"So what now?" Chloe asked, holding her borrowed jacket closer to her.

The Doctor licked a finger and stuck it in the air as if testing the strength and direction of the breeze. "That way." He pointed back the way they had come.

"Sure?"

"Positive." He set off at a confident jog.

"To the TARDIS?" Chloe shook her head at the blonde's question, knowing exactly what the Doctor was doing.

"No, I think we're going back to Sir George." she offered, getting an approving look from the Time Lord. "He's the only connection to the theft we can make right now."

"Hope you remember the way."

The light drizzle quickly turned to heavy rain, and they had to dance around the growing puddles. They arrived back at the house just as a large black car was drawing up. The driver was a blank silhouette against the light from the house. There was the outline of a woman sitting in the back.

Dickson appeared as if by intuition, complete with an unfurled umbrella which he put up as he hurried down the steps. His eyes widened slightly in well-disguised surprise as he saw the three.

"We decided to take up the offer of dinner after all," the Doctor told him.

"If it's still open," Rose and Chloe added at the same time.

"I am sure it is, sir. Please, do go in. I shall be with you in a moment." Dickson returned his professional attention to holding the umbrella over the woman from the back of the car as she stepped out onto the pavement.

"He might have offered us the umbrella," Rose complained, shaking the water out of her hair and brushing it off her cloak.

"And let the paint run?"

"What do you mean?"

For an answer, the Doctor nodded at the woman now stepping into the hallway behind them. Dickson stood in the doorway behind her, putting down the umbrella. Chloe, in turn, looked at the woman. On her face. She looked as if she had stepped out of a masked ball. Her dress was pale, shimmering silk, blowing round her in the breeze from the open door. Her flame-red hair (which put her own hair to shame) was allowed to cascade down to her bare shoulders. But her face was covered with a thin mask in the shape of a butterfly, so that only her mouth was visible. The mask was painted in bright colours – yellow, red, blue and green – and scattered with sequins. A delicate blue feather framed each side of it, contrasting with the red of her hair. Startlingly blue eyes looked out unblinkingly through almond-shaped holes.

"How do you do?" she said, her voice soft and cloying as honey. "I don't believe we have met." She held out a hand to the Doctor, hand angled in such a way it was obvious the Doctor was expected to kiss it. But instead he took it gently and gave it a polite shake.

"I'm the Doctor," he said. "And these are my friends, Rose and Chloe."

The woman nodded, any disappointment hidden behind the mask. "Melissa Heart," she said. She nodded slightly at the other two women, an acknowledgment, no more. "I assume that you, like me, are here for the conspiracy."

* * *

Chloe didn't know how to feel about The Painted Lady, only that the name was startlingly familiar and she didn't like how the other redhead seemed to listen to the Doctor's every word of their cover story. _You're just jealous_ _,_ she scolded herself.

"So," the Doctor said as he poked his spoon at his pie, making Chloe sigh, "what's this conspiracy all about?" _here we go_ _,_ she thought, taking a small bit of pie herself.

The sudden silence was broken by the sound of someone's involuntary gasp.

"Don't want to talk about it?" The Doctor shrugged and nodded sympathetically. He stood up, took off his leather jacket, and hung it over the back of the chair. Then he sat down again. "Tell you what, then – why don't I guess?"

Chloe did a quick glance around the table and grimaced. Sir George was leaning back in his chair, if anything seeming slightly amused. His wife, by contrast, looked nervous and unsettled. Colonel Oblonsky had gone red and his lips quivered in anger. Aske, Repple and the Painted Lady were all equally impassive and unreadable.

The Doctor sniffed. "Or we can finish our pud and leave you to get on with it. Thanks for the nosh. I don't want to impose or intrude."

"How intriguing." It was Melissa Heart who spoke. "As a newcomer to this little group, I would be interested to hear the details. Interested also to see if what the Doctor has gleaned is anything approaching the truth."

"And how do we know he is not a Bolshevik agent?" Oblonsky roared, his anger finally getting the better of him. "I say we throw him into the street." He leaned heavily forwards, scattering cutlery. "Once we have determined how much he knows and who he is working for."

"I'm no one's agent," the Doctor said quietly.

"Gentlemen, please." Sir George stood up, tossing his napkin down on his side plate. But Oblonsky paid no attention, continuing to stare malevolently at the Doctor, Chloe and Rose.

It was Major Aske who calmed the situation. He cleared his throat, and said quietly, "I doubt a Bolshevik agent, or any sort of agent, would be so bold as to invite himself to dinner and offer to explain your plans, Colonel. Repple and I are constantly alert to the possibility of spies, infiltrators, agents and assassins."

Repple held up his hand as Aske finished speaking. "The Doctor is obviously none of these. He and his companions may be able to help. Let us keep an open mind."

Oblonsky leaned back, folding his arms, still angry. "I am yet to be convinced."

"Well that's a start," the Doctor said happily. He raised his glass in a mock toast, then sipped at the wine. "Mmm, 1917," he declared.

"Not even close," Sir George said. "It's a 1921 claret."

"I didn't mean the wine," the Doctor said sternly. "Though if I did I might tell you the grapes came from a small vineyard just outside Briançon. No," he went on quickly enough for Rose to guess he had made this up, "I mean the Russian Revolution."

"It's not hard to guess," Rose said, making Chloe glance at her in surprise. She had no idea when the Russian Revolution happened, only that it eventually led to the movie about Anasatia. "There are a lot of Russians here. The colonel, the Koznyshevs earlier."

"And Lady Anna," the Doctor added.

Anna nodded, her raised eyebrows the only hint of her surprise. "I left in October 1917. With my husband and my young son."

"Your first husband," Chloe assumed, making the Doctor raise an eyebrow and Anna nod.

"I had met Sir George when he was at the British Embassy in Moscow. He was the only person I knew well enough to ask for help when I got to London.' She reached across the table and took his hand.

"So," Rose said, looking keen to make the most of her success so far, "we have some dispossessed Russians, and Repple here is a man who has lost his title and wants it back. You all want to kick out Lenin and co. and reclaim your lost lands, is that it?" She grinned, making Chloe assume she was pleased with herself.

The Painted Lady clapped her hands together in apparent admiration.

"No," Colonel Oblonsky said.

"Oh."

"She's close though," the Doctor said. He grinned at her. "Not bad."

"Oh, cheers," Rose muttered.

"She is right about me," Repple said. He got to his feet and looked round. Aske sighed and turned away. But Repple ignored him. "I shall not rest until I have reclaimed my birthright. No, not in Russia. Until the coup that took power from me, until I was branded a criminal and sent into exile, I was the Elector – the king if you will – of Dastaria. When I return, the people will rise up and drive out the oppressors who have laid waste our homeland."

 _Well,_ Chloe mused, unsure of what she could possibly say, _this is going to be a_ fun _adventure._

* * *

Anna was fucking _Anastasia._

Not the Tsar's daughter, of course. Chloe knew that by now, the poor girl's corpse was decomposing in the grave alongside two of her sisters, her father and her mother, but just hearing the name, and knowing the woman had ties to the fallen Tsar? She could barely wrap her head around it. Finally, Melissa Hart left and Anna went to bed, leaving Sir George, Oblonsky, Aske, and Repple with her, Rose and the Doctor.

"I make no pretense that this will be easy, gentlemen, Miss Tyler, Miss Nightingale" Oblonsky declared. His accented voice was slightly slurred by the wine and port. "It will be a long and difficult process and we are by no means ready to embark on a full-scale reinvasion of the motherland."

Sir George nodded and clapped a friendly hand on the colonel's shoulder. "We are under no illusions," he agreed. "I believe young Freddie will have reached maturity before we can help him reclaim his birthright."

"They've no hope, have they, Doctor?" Rose said quietly from where they sat beside Chloe, at the other end of the room, admiring a dark portrait of a serious lady.

"None," he replied. He sounded genuinely sad. "But it's good to dream. They're doing no harm."

"What about the attack on Dickson?" Chloe found herself asking.

"Something else entirely, I think." He frowned back at the woman in the picture. "Dunno what, though."

"Aside from alien, you mean?" she muttered, partially in exasperation. "Seriously, why is it almost always Earth? What the hell do we have that's so important." She got a snort. After a little banter between the Doctor and Rose, Repple came forward.

"Doctor, Miss Tyler, Miss Nightingale, it is a short walk to the Imperial Club. Or we can call for a car if you would rather."

"Short walk sounds great," the Doctor said. "I'll get my coat." He froze, midway to the door. "You hear that?" Chloe paused, not hearing anything.

"What?" Sir George asked, cocking his head to one side.

"I thought…" The Doctor frowned. 'Yeah, there it is again. Ticking." Ticking. Now that it was pointed out, she could hear the low clicking that was barely there. It sounded like… Chloe's grey eyes widened and she let out a small gasp.

_Oil, metal hands, ticking noise like a clock..._

"It's a clock," Rose said, but Chloe shook her head softly.

"There is no clock close enough for us to hear," she said, tone muted.

"That's right," Sir George agreed. "No clocks in the drawing-room. There was one. It broke." He shrugged, apologetically. "Can't hear anything myself."

"It's very quiet," the Doctor said. Aske and Repple exchanged looks. Both shrugged, not convinced.

But Dickson was standing alert and still. "That's it, sir," he said, his voice a hoarse whisper. "That's what I heard. When I was attacked."

"Must be coming from the hall,' Sir George said. "There's the grandfather out there."

"The hall," the Doctor murmured, "of course." He put his finger to his lips and went quickly and quietly to the door. He paused a moment, then yanked it suddenly open.

There was no one there.

" _Tempus fugit_ _,_ " the Doctor said.


	3. The Clockwise Man (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe decides to try and be clever...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So before I do anything:  
> I've already written up the end of The Clockwise Man arc and this will most likely be mass posted while ff.net works out whatever is happening to my reviews over there.
> 
> The Clockwise Man is one of three novels set between World War Three and Dalek and takes place in 1924. Dialogue and descriptions have been taken from the novel and character reactions have been adjusted accordingly to add a third person.
> 
> Update schedule is partially unknown, only that when there's over half a chapter complete, the one before it will be published. I'm unsure how many chapters TCM will take, only that after it will be The Monster Inside. After that, Chloe goes back home to live through a few important events.

Seeing the Doctor without his traditional leather coat felt off, but his anxiety was understandable, especially when it was revealed his sonic had been in the pocket. Chloe knew he had gotten and would get out of tougher situations without it, so she merely lamented the fact that the Clockwork droid would most likely do something to the jacket. Seeing as Repple looked lost in his own little world and Aske was talking to Rose, the redhead caught up to the Doctor, touching his arm to get his attention.

"Doctor," she murmured. "Doctor, I think I know what attacked him and took the TARDIS." His eyes lit up and he stopped, causing her to pause as well. Nodding to Aske and their friend, he motioned for them to go forward before turning back to her.

"What is it?"

"I only know them as Clockwork Droids. They're, well, like Grandfather clocks, except they're robots? Their AI could use some work too." she began. "The oil, the metal hands, they're a clue, but the biggest? The biggest was the clock,"

"Or lack thereof." he finished.

"It had been broken." she continued. "Broke and they hadn't replaced it. That ticking was too big, too loud for the clock Sir George tried to pass it off as."

"Chloe Nightingale, you're brilliant." she found herself drawn into a hug and laughed, barely getting the chance to hug him back before he grabbed her hand and began running to catch up to the others. As they got close to the Imperial Club, the Doctor seemed to get brighter.

"We have to be members?" he wondered.

"I shall vouch for you," Repple announced.

"The club was established after the Great War as a focal point, a meeting place, for the dispossessed nobility of Europe and the Commonwealth," Aske said. "So many things ended in Flanders, not just here and in France and Germany but right across the world."

"So many lives," the Doctor reminded him quietly.

Aske nodded grimly, one hand thrust deep in his jacket pocket. "The ultimate sacrifice."

"Such a waste," Repple added. "And it precipitated so much more. The Russian Revolution, for example. There will be so much more blood before all this is ended."

"To answer your question, Doctor, you do not have to be members," Aske said. "Though if you desire to stay for more than a few days, then you will be expected to provide evidence that you are of noble birth, dispossessed by conflict."

The Doctor nodded, sombre again for a moment. "Anything's possible," he murmured, staring into the distance. "The Great War."

"No more," she murmured as well before glancing at the Doctor. "You won't have to use your paper for this, Doctor. I can prove I'm of noble birth." His eyebrows shot up and she smirked, tapping her bigger than usual coat pockets which held her purse that was also bigger on the inside.

11 and 12 really liked spoiling her, apparently.

"'Wyse runs the place, in effect," Aske explained as he led them through the large foyer. Marble columns rose up to a vaulted roof, and a wide stone staircase curved up to the floors above. There were several corridors off from the entrance hall, all of them panelled with dark wood and hung with paintings and pictures. The corridor he led them through was decorated with woodcuts and watercolours depicting events of the French Revolution.

The Doctor paused to inspect one of the pictures. "That's not right," he told Rose. But he moved on without elaborating.

"That's helpful," Chloe snarked.

"Wyse is a resident here," Aske was saying. "I'm not sure exactly what his status is, but the staff seem to defer to him."

They emerged into an enormous room. The wooden paneling continued round the walls to shoulder height, making it seem very dark, despite the many wall lights. A chandelier hung down in the middle of the room, sparkling like a cluster of stars in the night sky. A large fire crackled and spat in an enormous stone fireplace, on the opposite wall to the door they had come in by. Leather armchairs and small leather sofas were arranged round low tables so that each of the many seating areas was an island in the large room. At first glance, the place seemed empty.

Then a head appeared round the back of one of the armchairs. A hand waved. "Evening to you," a cheery voice called. "Care to join me for a nightcap or whatever?" The head disappeared, and a moment later the man had got to his feet and emerged from the other side of the chair.

Like Aske and Repple, he was dressed in a dark suit. Unlike them, he was wearing a monocle. "Well, what have we here?" the man declared as he looked at the Doctor, Rose, and Chloe. "More refugees from the palaces and mansions of Europe, or just a couple of visitors, what?"

"You must be Mr. Wyse," the Doctor decided, striding through the furniture to shake his outstretched hand.

"Lord Wyse as a point of actual fact. But we don't stand on ceremony, dear me no. Just Wyse will do very nicely, thankee. Too many people like Repple here have lost too much for those of us with anything left to flaunt it in their faces." He gestured for them to sit down. Chloe immediately noted the chess set on a board on the table in front of where Wyse had been sitting, in the middle of a game.

"Oh, ignore my rather inept attempt to beat meself at chess, won't you?" Wyse said, smiling and the monocle popped out of his eye, swinging on a thin chain. "And shift that drated cat out of the way. Old Hector was sitting there earlier, and I think the thing likes the residual warmth." Looking towards where the man had motioned too, Chloe bit back a coo as the cat rolled onto its back and stretched. Reaching over, both Rose and Chloe scratched at the black cat, getting a purr and intense stare in return. After a moment it stretched again, then leaped down from the sofa and slunk off under the chair where Wyse had sat himself down again.

"What's its name?" Rose asked.

"Oh dear, you've got me there." Wyse smiled. "Just call it 'the cat' meself. Been here longer than I have, that cat. But speaking of names..."

"I'm Rose. This is the Doctor and Chloe."

"Hi," the Doctor said, slumping himself down where the cat had been. "We're told you're the man to ask about a room for the night. Maybe two nights."

Chloe greeted the man as well, giving Rose the stink eye as the blonde grinned innocently and motioned for the redhead to sit down between her and the Doctor on the loveseat. As she sat down, her thighs were pressed up against his, and she was acutely aware of the temperature difference between them. As a Time Lord, he ran a few degrees colder, but as a construct, she ran a few degrees hotter.

Wyse laughed. "Nothing much to do with me, but I can put in a word if you think it will help. I've been here longer than anyone else, so when Mr. Pooter's away they listen to me. I'll tell Crowther to make up a couple of rooms. Have to be on the third floor, mind. Pretty full at the moment, and we're not terribly big really, you know."

"Mr. Pooter," Aske said, "is the gentleman who endowed the club originally. It is run by a board of trustees that meets regularly. Mr. Pooter is the chairman of that board."

"Not here now, though,' Wyse said. 'He lives on the fourth floor, top of the building, and he likes his privacy. Bit of a recluse, I think. When he's not traveling. Likes his own company."

"Yeah, don't we all," the Doctor agreed.

"You all right, Repple?" Wyse asked, leaning forwards. Repple was sitting in the armchair opposite with his eyes closed. They opened slowly at Wyse's words, and he stared back at the other man.

"I have had a busy day," he said. "It's late." His eyes closed again, and his head slipped to one side.

"Yes, you're looking a bit run down," Wyse decided. "I'll give him a hand getting to his room."

"There's no need," Aske said quickly.

"Oh, no trouble. You stay and talk to your friends here. I'll have Crowther let you know where their rooms are soon as they're ready."

"Thanks.' Chloe said, giving Repple a concerned look.

He made a futile attempt to smooth down his hair. "Goodnight to you then." Wyse tapped Repple gently on the knee, and the eyes opened again. "Come along, time to turn in, I think."

Repple nodded, and Aske helped him up out of the chair. "My apologies, Doctor, Miss Tyler, Miss Nightingale," Repple said. "I just need some sleep. I shall see you perhaps for breakfast."

Aske made to help Repple, but Wyse waved him away. "It's no trouble." He helped Repple across the room. The cat watched their progress all the way to the door, then it sprang to its feet and ran after them.

The Doctor was leaning forward, chin on his hands and elbows on his knees, looking at the chess game.

"Who's winning?" Rose asked.

"Since he is playing against himself, Wyse is winning." He leaned back, hands clasped behind his head. "Interesting."

"Is he any good?" Chloe joked, knowing her own skills were downright horrid.

"I'd say so." The Doctor nodded, then turned towards Aske. "Nice of you to bring us here." He stood up abruptly and turned a full circle, inspecting the room before sitting down again. Oddly enough, it seemed as if he was _closer_ than before. "Yes, very nice indeed."

"Is Repple all right?" Rose asked.

"He gets tired," Aske said. "Part of his condition, I'm afraid."

The Doctor frowned and she sat up more. "Condition?"

Aske nodded. He was looking pale and drained. "I'm not sure quite how to explain, but I have a confession to make to you both. I'm afraid that things are not quite as they seem."

The Doctor was fully attentive now, eyes focused sharply on Aske. "Things are never quite as they seem."

"Is this about Repple's condition?" Rose wondered.

Aske nodded. "Tell me," he said, fixing each of them in turn with his gaze, "have you ever actually heard of Dastaria?"

"No," Rose admitted. "But I'm rubbish at geography."

"'I'm rather good at it," the Doctor retorted. "But no. No, I haven't."

"The name isn't ringing any bells…" Chloe said, brows pinched.

This was obviously the answer Aske had expected. "You have never heard of it, because there is no such place."

* * *

Their rooms were next to each other, with a small lounge between that was reached from either room by a connecting door. Each had a small bathroom en suite, which the Doctor murmured was as unusual as it was welcome. The rooms were like what you might find in a posh country- house hotel. Not that she had ever been to such a place, but the four-poster bed and the worn leather furniture reeked of expense and comfort.

Crowther showed them through the rooms, then handed them each a key. "Just one thing, sir and madams," he said in his dry voice.

"Just one?" The Doctor smiled.

Crowther ignored this. "Mr. Pooter's rooms are directly above you. I would request that you make as little unnecessary noise as possible."

"I thought Mr. Pooter was away," Rose said.

"Indeed. But he often returns at very short notice or unexpectedly. We have a trustees' meeting coming up shortly."

"No wild parties, Chloe, Rose," the Doctor warned. "No raves or binges or barn-dancing."

"And of course, you will respect his privacy."

"Of course," Chloe responded. She was finding the man more than a little creepy and wished he'd just leave them. "I thought he'd never go," she whispered as soon as Crowther had left the Doctor's room.

"Never is a very long time," the Doctor said. They all flinched at the knock at the door.

"I think he heard you," Rose joked.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows, not convinced. He strode across the room and opened the door. Repple was standing there, and the Doctor motioned for him to come in. The black cat slipped in behind him before the Doctor could close the door. It stretched out on the floor inside the door and watched them. Chloe narrowed her eyes at the cat, unsure of what to do. She had owned cats before that acted like this one, but there was something else going on.

"You mean, you're not actually the rightful leader of Dastaria?" The Doctor's voice snapped her back to the present, where a thud sounded from a different floor.

"I misled you in some details," Repple said quietly, seeming fearful about something. "I am not the Elector of Dastaria, exiled, and even now planning my glorious return to power. I cannot begin to plan my return, glorious or otherwise. You see, the truth is, I am a prisoner in all but name."

"Hang about," Rose interrupted. "Are you the ruler of this place or not?"

"I am, but as you know, I was deposed in an illegal coup. The rebels seized power without any warning or legitimacy, and one day, I shall reclaim my title. But first, I must escape." The man seemed very convinced, and Chloe's heart went out to him.

"Escape?" she prompted.

"From him. From Aske - my jailer." Ok, shit, if this was real? If this is a hostage situation on top of a Clockwork invasion? She was going to throw an actual fit. Was once not enough?

"Ah," the Doctor said, but she saw his confused face from the corner of her eye.

Repple turned towards her, eyes pleading. "He watches me all the time. Only occasionally, like now, can I slip away for a few moments. But I must get back, before he becomes suspicious. I can plan nothing, talk to no one without him knowing. And if I step out of line for a moment, if he even begins to think I have violated the terms of my exile..." He shook his head at the thought. "The man is a fanatic."

"Yes," the Doctor said slowly, and she started to think about a probable impossibility. Maybe… "I'm sure."

"But what can he do?" Rose demanded.

"You have noticed how he stands?" Repple demonstrated, mimicking Aske's distinctive posture – one hand tucked into his jacket pocket. "A knife or a small pistol is never far away. I can take no chances. Not for myself, you understand. I do not fear death." He looked from Chloe to Rose to the Doctor. "I fear for my people. Those left behind in the country that despite everything still flies our flag."

"Course you do," the Doctor said, clapping his arm round Repple's shoulder. "So, what's the flag of Dastaria look like?"

"It is a white triangle emblazoned on a background of the night sky. And one day soon, despite what Aske and those he answers to might think, I shall return in glory at the head of an army that marches under that flag. For freedom. For Dastaria." As he stepped away from the Doctor, she saw him take the Time Lord in for a moment before hugging him. She saw Rose step out of range, but as Repple turned towards them, he bowed. "There is a degree of honour in you three," he said. "I know I can count on you."

* * *

There was only one bed, but she gave it to Rose, giving the blonde a smile. "I don't need to sleep." she said. "I think we'll have an eventful day tomorrow."

The door to the Doctor's room swung open. "You should sleep." he said, making her pause from where she had been pacing in the lounge. Glancing back, she saw him in the doorway to his own suite.

"I don't sleep," she told him, to which he raised an eyebrow. "I don't _need_ to sleep." she corrected. "Besides, I need to think. There are things here, things that need to be connected."

"Like the Clockwork droid?"

"And Dastaria," she added, getting an odd look. "Think about it! A clockwork droid, human technology from the future, finds its way to 1924 Earth and at the same time, a man collapses and believes himself to be a ruler of a make-believe land? What if it isn't as make-believe as they think? What if the same thing that brought the droid brought a conscience?"

"Memories that shouldn't exist yet," he said, making her nod. "It's practically impossible."

"Maybe," she agreed. "But I want to leave it as an option on the table. I mean, if Robin Hood can be real and not be you, why can't something like that be real?"

* * *

She was in the middle of watching the Doctor and Wyse having a chess match when Rose shuffled in, eyes lighting up at the now cold food Chloe had managed to snap for her. "Wake up earlier next time," she chided quietly, and the blonde nodded, eyes going to the cat on the adjacent sofa. For half a second, the redhead thought it was going to get up and start begging for the bacon, but it lowered its head and went back to sleep. She smirked as the blonde tried to get the cat to come over to her by kissing at it, making the Doctor glance at her with a glare.

"Sorry," Rose mumbled, though he ignored it.

Wyse caught their eyes and winked. "Think I've got him on the run," he whispered.

The Doctor looked up at them, eyes narrowed. Then he returned his attention to the board. "Oh, stuff it," he decided and moved a bishop forwards.

Wyse frowned. "Or not," he admitted, making the redhead laugh.

The Doctor tapped the edge of the chessboard. "Mate in three," he finished glumly. They finished the game and Wyse made a comment about finding Crowther for some snacks. As he stood up and stretched, the cat mirrored Wyse, following him out of the room in its long, easy manner.

"Having fun?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, takes my mind off faceless killers and missing time machines." the Doctor grinned before turning to Chloe.

"Oh no," she immediately protested. "We are _not_ having another rematch." At Rose's confused face, she went into further detail. "I don't sleep and the Doctor already had enough sleep already, so he challenged me to a chess match."

"But you're rubbish at chess?"

"Yeah," she agreed, voice low and heated. "Fifteen matches." Rose made a face before turning towards the seat Wyse had vacated.

"He's a good player?"

"Very good." the Doctor answered, picking up the black king and examining it. "He missed an easy way to beat me early on."

"Giving you a chance?" Rose suggested, making Chloe snort.

"'I wonder. P'raps he felt sorry for me. I was going to return the favour just now, but I couldn't see a move that didn't leave my king exposed."

"Except winning."

"Winning's easy."

"So, maybe he forced you to win."

The Doctor considered this. "Which is lots more difficult," he decided quietly.

* * *

"So I assume Aske has told you that Repple isn't really the king in exile or whatever." Chloe began as Wyse sat back down.

Wyse sat back in his chair and regarded them with interest. "He has indeed. He tells everyone that, then swears them to secrecy. Just as Repple tells everyone he is indeed the rightful Elector of Dastaria."

"But which of them is telling the truth?' Rose asked. 'Repple told us he's a prisoner."

"Tell me," Wyse said, "was Aske listening when he told you this?"

"Is that important?"

"Oh yes, Doctor. You wanted to know which of them had told you the truth."

"Yep."

"Well, it sounds as if the answer is: neither of them."

"So what is the truth?' Rose hadn't touched her black pudding Wyse had given her, instead setting the plate on the table beside the chessboard.

"An excellent question, my dear. And I relate only what has been told to me, so I cannot directly vouch for its veracity either."

"Get on with it," the Doctor mumbled.

Wyse smiled affably at the interruption. "Very well, my friend. Now, I asked if Repple believed he could be overheard when he told you his story. I know from the story he chose to tell that the answer is yes."

Chloe nodded. "He seemed to be going to tell us something last night, then there was a noise and he got nervous."

"You mean his story varies depending who's listening?" the Doctor said.

"Something like that."

"So is he or isn't he?" Rose demanded.

"That is the question," Wyse agreed. "And no, I'm afraid he isn't." As he spoke, the cat jumped up into Wyse's lap. It purred contentedly, snuggling in and almost immediately going to sleep. Wyse rubbed at the cat's head with his knuckles.

"So Aske told us the truth. It's all a delusion," Rose realized.

"Well, that's not quite true either. You see, it's no delusion. Repple is in perfect mental health and he knows full well that he is no more the Elector of Dastaria than you or I."

"So why lie?" the Doctor asked.

"Because Aske is the one with the delusions, and Repple wants nothing more than to humour his friend and allow him to continue with the life he believes he is leading."

"Aske said he was treating Repple. That he's his psychiatrist or whatever."

Wyse nodded. "And that is his delusion. Aske believes himself to be a brilliant doctor of the mind, treating a friend who suffers from terrible delusions brought about, if I recall the story correctly, by a fall from a horse." He looked from Rose to the Doctor and back again. "It isn't Repple who believes himself to be something he is not and is aided and abetted in this by his friend. It is Aske." With that, Wyse excused himself. "Time is marching on," he said, "and so must I." He set the cat down on the floor. It opened a surprised eye, watching Wyse as he left, then slinking off after him.

"Doesn't matter," Rose decided when he had gone.

"What doesn't?"

"Aske and Repple. None of our business really."

"Interesting though," the Doctor countered. "Aren't you curious to know the truth?"

"You don't think we just heard it?"

"'He said himself, it's just hearsay. Maybe Dastaria does exist – some out-of-the-way country lost between the cracks on the maps. Who knows?"

"Who cares?" Rose responded.

"I do," Chloe replied, getting a surprised and then embarrassed look from Rose. "As a therapist, it matters to me. I care. Besides, those memories? They're too real, too life-like." Rose seemed to accept this, but the Doctor frowned.

"Are you?" he asked. "Are you actually licensed?"

"Yes. In the Alpha Universe, I graduated high school early and became a licensed therapist. Then the pandemic happened and I was about to go back to my office for the first time in months when…" she trailed off and shook her head. "In any case, Torchwood 3 had me take all the tests again before allowing me to be officially licensed again."

"Doctorate?"

"No, Masters." she saw the irony in it almost immediately after she said it, but she was more worried about the flash of shadow across his face. "I could go back to uni and get a doctorate though. It would only be a couple of years…" She shook her head though as someone coughed and entered the room, gathering the plates.

"Excuse me, Doctor, but you have a visitor."

"Really? Who?"

"It is a Miss Heart. She says you met last evening, sir. I'm afraid that since she has not been vouched for by a full member of the club, as you and Miss Tyler have been, she is only permitted so far as the public gallery. If you would follow me?"

"You coming?"

"And play gooseberry to you and the Painted Lady?" Rose said. "It's you she wants to see, not me."

"Jealous?" the Doctor asked innocently.

Chloe hummed and tapped her chin. "No, no, Rose had a point. She was practically flirting with you all night last night."

"We'll wait here and finish our tea," Rose agreed. "Don't want to cramp your style." The Doctor grinned. "Such as it is," Rose finished.

The grin vanished. The Doctor leaned forward and took Rose's and Chloe's hand. "It's you that needs the fashion tips," he said. "Come on."

* * *

"Beth didn't say anything about someone being killed," Rose told the Doctor as Crowther showed them into the public gallery, off the main foyer. Chloe let out a frustrated noise.

"Beth?"

"The maid. You remember, you sent her to wake me up."

"Oh yeah. Beth."

"People hospitalised, traumatised, all sorts of other "ised"s. But she never mentioned dead-ised."

"P'raps Beth doesn't know."

"Or maybe she just didn't want to freak you out." she suggested. "The biggest notion in 1920 was that women couldn't stand to hear about stuff like murder or death." She saw the blonde's nose wrinkle, making her shake her head fondly before turning towards the room they had just entered.

The room was long and narrow, barely more than a wide corridor. One side was almost entirely taken up with large windows, the other had paintings hanging the length of it. Down the middle of the room were various pieces of sculpture. Nothing modern of course. There were classical women looking as if they'd just got out of the bath, and heroic male figures with muscles – and everything else – rippling.

Melissa Heart was standing just inside the door, her back to them. She was admiring one of the statues, a woman poised with one arm in the air. Long sheetlike robes were sculpted round her, seeming to emphasise rather than disguise the female form. There was an odd similarity with Melissa Heart, standing there in her long, thin dress. She held a long, thin black cigarette holder to her mouth, trails of smoke wafting up towards the ceiling.

Curiously, Chloe wanted to know what the other redhead looked like under the mask. Most likely, she didn't leave her house without it on, so she wasn't all that surprised when she turned to reveal another painted mask over her features. The position of two of the red curls, lifting from the edges of the mouth, made it seem as if the woman was perpetually smiling. "Why, Doctor, and Rose and Chloe. How kind of you to see me."

"Yes," the Doctor agreed simply.

"How can we help?" Rose asked.

"Oh, but you can't. At least, not just now. Not yet." The emotionless mask continued to smile at them. "But I can help you, I think."

"Really?" Chloe murmured, and ok, yeah, she was getting a bit bitter again. She really didn't like being this blind, how did the Doctor _stand_ it?

She gestured with the cigarette holder towards an upright chair standing against the wall close by. A dark leather jacket was draped over it. "Yours, I believe."

The Doctor all but leaped across the room and snatched up the jacket. He slipped it on. "It fits!"

"I thought it might."

"I mislaid it last night," the Doctor said, his expression suddenly as unreadable as Melissa's. Chloe's eyes darted to his pockets before looking at Heart. _Painted Mask_ … No, no, she shouldn't be theorizing like this. She needed more facts, more details others would think nothing of...

"I had reason to call on Lady Anna this morning, and she asked if I would return it to you. I confess, I did rather relish the chance to renew our acquaintance."

"That's nice." Chloe and Rose said together, getting only the briefest glance in return.

"You didn't happen to check the pockets, did you?" the Doctor said, rummaging inside them, and she could hear Rose's breath catch, making her realize she was holding her own breath.

"Of course not." Her voice too was devoid of expression.

"That's good." He drew out the sonic screwdriver and held it up so she could see it clearly. "Still, everything seems to be here."

"How intriguing. What, may I ask, is that?"

"Novelty corkscrew," Rose told her.

"Or something," the Doctor added. "Found it in the street outside Sir George's. You don't know who might own such a thing?" He held out the sonic screwdriver, as if inviting her to take it.

"I really could not say."

Melissa Heart reached out, but the Doctor pulled away his hand and slipped the device back into his jacket pocket. "Thought not," he said. "Well, thanks. And bye."

"We mustn't keep you," Chloe added, giving him a sharp look. Sure, the woman was fishy, but god, be _respectful_ until proven guilty. "I expect you're busy."

"Not at all." If she was offended, there was no way of knowing. "You must call on me sometimes. All of you," she added in a tone that implied she did not for one moment mean to include Rose and Chloe. "My house is not far away. Perhaps you know it? Anthony Hubbard's old house on Veracity Avenue."

"'We don't,' Rose said. 'We've not been here long."

"You are travelling together?"

"We're inseparable," the Doctor said. _Here come the conclusions_ _,_ Chloe grimaced.

"Then I shall leave you together. No doubt I shall see you again soon."

"No doubt," the Doctor echoed. "Thanks for the coat. I must call in and thank Sir George and his wife as well."

Melissa Heart hesitated. Only slightly, but enough for her to know that everyone else had seen it too. "I'm sure there's no need," Melissa said, pausing in the doorway.

"I'm sure you're right," the Doctor agreed. Because now they all knew that however Melissa Heart had got the Doctor's coat, it was not from Sir George or his wife. They waited in silence after she left before both turned to the redhead, making her sigh. "You thought of something when you saw she had my jacket."

She hesitated before shaking her head, crossing her arms. "I don't want to accuse without proper evidence but…" she paused and he did the 'go on' motion. "Clockwork Droids… the ones shown, they always had painted masks on as a way of blending in. She's not one, there's no ticking, but… she might be one of the ones working with them."

"A human element." The Doctor theorized. "Unpredictable to everyone and thing, other humans included."

"The way she tried to go for the sonic as well," Rose added. Chloe nodded, but as the Doctor went to talk some more, possibly to have them go up to their rooms for more privacy, Crowther all but kicked the doors in, looking grey-ish green.

"Murder!" He gasped. "Murder in the alley!"


	4. The Clockwise Man (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An interesting development happens...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't read The Clockwise Man, I highly suggest you do! I'm skipping a lot of dialogue and scenes that may help build the story, as such in the case with Beth, the maid Rose befriends, or how Rose knows Freddie so well.
> 
> I don't have a set update schedule, only that when there's over half a chapter complete, the one before it will be published. I'm unsure how many chapters TCM will take, only that after it will be The Monster Inside. After that, Chloe goes back home to live through a few important events.

Chloe rubbed Rose's back as she sat on the sofa the two had occupied not even two hours ago, unsure if she should blink or not in fear of seeing that poor girl's body when she closed her eyes. She was aware of the Doctor and Wyse talking, the former having examined Beth's body as soon as Crowther had led them to her. Less than an hour ago, a girl had her throat crushed in, probably begging and screaming for help, and where had she been? Taking cheap shots at The Painted Lady.

"Have you any idea what is happening here?" Wyse asked, making Chloe stiffen. Any other time, she would've confidently been able to answer, but now? When a girl no older than Rose had just been killed because she hadn't thought the books had been important enough to spend her spare change on?

"You think I might?"

Wyse shrugged. He looked old and drawn, as if finding the girl's body had sapped some of the life from him too. "You seem like a man with insight. This has to be stopped. A few attacks, the odd person knocked out... Well, that's bad enough, of course. But, Doctor, a girl has died. Out there behind this club. On our very doorstep." He took a long, deep breath. "We cannot just sit by and do nothing."

"The police," Rose said, looking up for the first time. "They'll…"

"They'll do their best," Wyse said. "But do any of us really think that will be good enough?" He turned to the Doctor, looking straight into his eyes. "Do you know something, Doctor? Anything? About all this?"

The Doctor held his gaze for several moments, and she could feel him glancing at her for only the smallest of seconds. Then he stood up, hand to forehead, sighing and said. "Enough. I know an innocent girl's dead. I know whoever – whatever – did this has to be stopped. That's enough."

"And what do you propose, Doctor?"

The Doctor sat down again, leaning forward from the edge of the chair. "There's more to this than we know or guess. And you," he pointed at Rose, "need a distraction. It's terrible and brutal and unfair, but moping won't help."

"I like moping. When people get killed."

"We need to be alert, aware, sparking with ideas."

"Fat chance." Rose scoffed, making Chloe sigh.

"She just lost someone she befriended, Doctor. Allow her this small moment," she pleaded. "Besides, once we're finished here, you're still taking me to the British Empire Exhibition."

"Ah!" Wyse perked up at this. "It's very good actually. Lots on, you know. And the new stadium is a glory to behold."

"You go then," Rose told them, looking away.

"Oh, I've been. I'd welcome the chance to go again, mind. But I fear the police will want to take a statement from me."

"From you?" Rose frowned, looking at him.

"He did find the body," the Doctor pointed out.

"Oh. Yeah."

"I reckon we should avoid making statements," the Doctor went on, looking meaningfully at Rose. "It'd only confuse them."

"You'll enjoy the exhibition," Wyse said gently. "I would like to join you, but I expect they'll delight in keeping me hanging around for a while just to demonstrate how important they are. The Doctor's right, my dear. It'll take your mind off things."

"OK," she said, making Chloe smile.

"Triffic!" The Doctor clapped his hands together and leaped to his feet. "You two go get your cloak and coat, and I've already got my jacket back." He paused, lips pursed as he thought. "Let's call in on Sir George on the way and thank him for returning it."

"Except you know he didn't." Chloe said, tilting her head. What was he planning?

"We ought to be sure," he said. "Or we're being unfair too."

Rose sighed. "I suppose. Hey, I wonder if Freddie wants to come to the show. I doubt he gets out much."

"That's true enough," Wyse agreed. "Poor little fellow."

"Let's ask," the Doctor said. "Come on."

* * *

As it was, Anna had confirmed that Heart had taken the coat. She also allowed Freddie, her son and the possible future Tsar, to accompany them to the drive to the Exhibition, but not to the event itself.

"There's a kid in the block called Josh," Rose said while they waited. "His mum never lets him play out or anything. It's sad."

"What's he like?" the Doctor asked.

Rose shrugged. "No one knows. Quiet. Lonely."

"Scared," Chloe answered, voice distan, thinking back to her own childhood. "Confused. Angry. He doesn't understand why he can't do out." Rose gave her an odd look, but it was better than the Doctor's knowing one.

"Quiet ones rebel." He said, making her nod.

"You two would know," she teased. But they didn't answer.

The car was huge and noisy and black. All the cars, not that there were many, seemed to be black. "Black is the old silver," the Doctor told Rose when she pointed this out.

Freddie was excited. There were no seat belts, which worried the women. What made them even more anxious was the way Freddie bounced on the leather seat as he stared out of the window, giving a running commentary on each and every little thing – interesting or not. The Doctor saw them watching anxiously, and shook his head – the boy was enjoying himself, and it didn't seem as if that happened often.

After about ten minutes, Freddie settled down as the novelty wore off. Rose was sitting next to him on the bench seat across the back of the car. The Doctor was opposite them on a seat that folded down from behind the driver, like in a cab with Chloe beside him. A glass screen separated them from Dickson in the front.

"It's strange seeing London with so few cars and people," Chloe said.

The Doctor nodded. "More cars'll come soon enough."

"And lots more women than men," she realised.

"It's 1924," the Doctor said, as if this explained it. "There're about two million more women than men in Britain."

Freddie nodded. "Because of the war."

"Of course," Rose realised. "That's why it's all so quiet."

The Doctor leaned forward. "That's why there are so few young men. The 1919 flu killed far more people than the Great War ever did." He leaned back again, and closed his eyes. "Whatever humanity inflicts on itself, nature can always go one better." He opened his eyes again, but they were unfocused, as if staring at a different scene. Chloe herself only caught part of what he was saying: "...collapsed in the street. School children died at their desks between sums."

"We're here," Freddie said, his excited voice contrasting with the Doctor's sudden mood. The boy leaned across and took Rose's hand. "You will tell me all about it, won't you?"

Rose smiled and squeezed his hand. "Promise."

* * *

Chloe was quickly reminded why she hated the Colonization Great Britain had done as they walked further and further into the exhibition. Don't get her wrong, she hated the American 'expand to the west' history too. So much culture was erased because humans were greedy.

"So nothing from Russia then," Rose's voice snapped her from her thoughts as they finally reached what seemed like the last few buildings.

"Nah – not part of the empire."

"Got their own."

The Doctor nodded. "Yep. It'll last a while yet, though it's not in the greatest shape."

"The revolution," Chloe said, thinking back to the discussions at Sir George's that first evening.

"Mmmm."

"Not a great way to run an empire, I s'pose. Shooting the king or whatever."

"The Tsar. And his wife. And his kids. No, not great... Mind you," the Doctor added, "Charles I got his head chopped off."

"That was ages ago."

"Which makes it better?" The Doctor clicked his tongue. "Only ten minutes away in the TARDIS. Ends and means, always tricky." He was looking round, as if trying to decide which way to go next. "The women had diamonds sewn into their clothes. Bullets went whizzing round the room as they bounced off. Dead in a cellar," he sighed, his breath misting the air. "One of the most powerful families on the planet, and that's about the only thing people remember about them. That and haemophilia." He seemed to have lost interest suddenly, and quickened his pace.

"Haemo-what?" Rose asked as Chloe stumbled.

"Got it from Queen Victoria, something else people forget. It's a hereditary thing, stops the blood from clotting. The girls were fine, but poor little Alex had it. Nasty."

"Holy shit," the redhead mumbled, getting an odd look from the Doctor but paid no heed to it. _So Victoria wasn't the only one to nip her kids then. Jesus, the Royal Bloodlines are fucked up._

"Good job Charles I didn't have it then." Rose joked.

The Doctor grinned back at her, and the past was the past again – something distant you could joke about, not a tragic memory. "Like I said, it's the one thing people remember about the Romanovs. That and the fact they died."

At the back of the vast exhibition area was an enormous amusement park for the children. Here the variety and divergence of the lands of the empire made way for a full-size model of the old woman who lived in a shoe. There certainly were so many children that no one could have known what to do. Instead of roller coasters and rides, there were see-saws and swings and rocking horses. And instead of bored parents shouting at their children or ignoring them, there was an army of uniformed nurses supervising the youngsters so that parents could wander freely through the empire of reality while their children explored the wonders of this imaginary world.

Chloe looked around a bit more, spotting the two white towers. "Is this Wembley Stadium?" she asked.

"They call it the Empire Stadium," the Doctor replied. "Largest sports arena in the world. Bigger than the Colosseum."

"I saw them pulling down the towers," Rose said. "On the telly."

"It opened for the FA Cup final last year, 1923." He told Chloe, who was looking at the towers in awe.

"Who won?" Rose asked.

"Bolton Wanderers. Who else?" he had a disbelieving tone to his voice that didn't disappear as he continued. "It wasn't just random, you know. Whoever took the TARDIS must have had a good reason. It's time we got this sorted."

* * *

Thankfully, the Doctor had enough money to let the women buy a couple of new clothes so they weren't stuck wearing the same thing. While Chloe didn't technically need the new clothes, she gathered more attention because she was a woman, so she allowed the blonde to drag her through the shops, carefully picking out the different shades that went well with her pale skin and red hair. By the time they got back to the Imperial Club, Rose looked ready to nod off, and Chloe could feel her thoughts starting to lag.

They ate with Wyse, who was keen to hear about their day. By the end of the meal, Chloe could see Rose starting to fall asleep as the Doctor and Wyse were talking about politics. "If you'll excuse us," she said, and the two nodded, causing her to gently tug Rose to her feet. "Let's get you to bed."

"'M not a kid," she mumbled.

"I know, but you can barely keep your head up." she told her. When they got back into the room, Rose struggled with changing, but eventually got it on. Changing into her own nightwear, Chloe laid on top of the sheets and comforter, so accustomed to opening the music box that had been left on her bedside table in her haste to grab stuff. Once she was sure Rose was asleep, however, she sat up and walked into the lounge, unsure of what to do. If she was on the TARDIS, she would've already been asleep, no doubt. _No TARDIS, no music box_ _,_ she mused. "How does he do it?" she wondered aloud before jumping, hearing the sound of scraping movement from the rooms above her. It sounded like… claws? Or perhaps it was a suitcase.

Shaking her head, she made a note to mention Mr. Pooter had returned as the door to Rose's room swung open and the blonde stepped out. "Is he…?" she trailed off, motioning towards the Doctor's rooms.

"Nah, he's still talking to Wyse no doubt." she said. "How're you feeling?"

Before she could answer, there was a cat's yowl, loud and angry, as well as a man's scream, and it had the two bolting out of the lounge, not even bothering to put their shoes on as they raced down the stairs. "What's going on?" Rose called.

"Doctor?!" Chloe yelled, unable to stop in time as her foot missed a step and she went barreling into a man, who shoved her off and caught the flying black cat, throwing it into a bag and then bolting out of the Club. She barely had time to blink from where her head was resting on the stairs before the Doctor appeared over her, concern all over his face as she tried to sit up. "What are you waiting for, get after them!" she snapped, making sure to hold the back of her head as she gave the Doctor and Rose a wink before pretending like her head was hurting her.

* * *

Wyse immediately called for an ice pack for her and had Chloe settle down on a fainting chair as the Doctor and Rose did as she requested and chased after the two intruders. A few minutes after they had left, the black cat that had been caught in the bag came bounding through the door and settled on her lap, purring, making her smile and start petting it, glad it had been saved. Aske and Repple came in a few moments later, and about five minutes later, Rose and the Doctor came in, the latter's clothes looking… wet?

"Did you go for a swim Doctor?" she asked, and his eyes snapped to her, or, rather, to the cat on her lap. "Did you get the intruders?"

"No," he said, voice slow and low. "They got away before we could do anything."

* * *

The Doctor's story didn't make sense, like how the intruders got away or why his clothes were wet, but she didn't say anything, instead mourning the loss of the cat's heat as she had to get up and head back to their rooms. It wasn't until it was just them three did she speak up.

"Your story didn't make sense Doctor. What really happened? Did you see the Clockwork Droid?"

"No," he said. "Chloe, did the cat do anything odd?"

"Odd?" she asked, frowning. "No, it behaved like a normal cat would when someone's hurt. When it came through the doors after you saved it, it hopped up onto my lap and started purring like it knew if I had been human, I would've been hurt."

"Chloe," Rose spoke up, voice muted. "Chloe, the man who put the cat into the bag… we didn't release the cat." She frowned even more, tilting her head.

"What do you mean?" What were they trying to say?

"The man dropped the bag into the river with the cat in it." the Doctor answered, shock and horror immediately making her feel sick and the room spin. "It didn't survive."

"But… it came back before you did." she whispered, swallowing thickly. "How could it have…"

"I don't know." he said. "But I plan to find out." She knew that tone; it was the one that always came through, it was his 'I promise' tone, and rather than reassure her…

"I think I'm going to be sick," she said, voice faint, to which Rose gave a panicked look and the Doctor sighed.

"She can't," she heard him say as white noise filled her ears. "No stomach to constrict. Anything she eats immediately becomes energy. At most, she'll get a minor brainstorm that'll require her mind to shut down for a few hours."

"But she hasn't been able to sleep." the blonde murmured.

Rather than saying anything, the Doctor gently tugged her into Rose's room, gesturing for her to climb into the bed. She did so, barely registering how Rose climbed in beside her or how the two covered her up. A hand ghosted over her temple, and a few seconds later, the world went black.

* * *

When she woke up next, Rose was gone and there were two notes on the bedside that had her cursing. One was from the Doctor, saying that he'd gone to Sir George's to talk to Freddie about his jacket's disappearing act while the other was from Rose, who explained she had gotten bored and was going to wander around for a bit.

"' _Don't wander off_ ' he says," she grumbled, hastily changing into her clothes and marching out of their rooms. "I should tell _him_ not to wander off." As she stormed into the foyer, she could see the Doctor and Rose talking.

"There you are." he said as she walked up.

" _Don't wander off_ _,_ " she mocked.

"Oi!" There was a smudgeon of actual hurt in her voice, but she wasn't that affected, instead crossing her arms and tapping her foot.

"You tell us that all the time, but be honest, Doctor, how many times do _you_ wander off and get into trouble? All you left was a note. What if whatever took the TARDIS took you too? We'd have to rescue you, and if we failed, we'd be stuck in '24. Where'd the timelines go from there then?" He grimaced as she finished her mini-rant, making her sigh and rub her head. "I'm sorry it's just… I don't like being knocked out without a warning."

"Noted," he replied. "And sorry."

"Accepted," she murmured. "Did you find anything?"

She followed him out of the club and into the street. The Doctor licked his finger and held it in the air for a moment as he decided which way to go. "That Melissa Heart took my coat. Deliberately."

"She's the lioness?" Rose asked

"Let's find out."

"How do we do that then?"

The Doctor was striding off at speed, with a sudden sense of purpose. "We go and ask her. Keep up."

"That'll surprise her."

"Doubt it." Chloe told her. The Doctor paused then hurried across the road, waving absently at a horse that drew up sharply to avoid hitting them. "She made a point of telling him where she lives. Twice."

"Invitation?"

"Yep."

"She's expecting us?"

"Probably wondering what's taking us so long. Probably thinks we're being a bit thick."

"Whereas in fact…" Rose muttered.

"I like people to think I'm a bit thick," the Doctor declared, to the amusement of a passing couple. "Makes them careless and arrogant. Ready to explain their dastardly plan in words of one sill... silly…" He struggled to get his mouth round the word.

"Syllable?" Chloe offered

"That's it."

"I got English," she told him.

"Then tell me…" He stopped abruptly and turned to her, eyes dark and serious. It made her mouth go dry and knees weak.

"Yes?" How did her voice not shake?

"I've always wondered, why isn't phonetic spelled with an 'F'?" She blinked at his question before letting out a knowing, but amused noise.

Rose stared back at him. "I can teach you how to spell Doctor with an 'F'."

They carried on walking as Chloe spoke. "English is a bastardization of several languages, Doctor. The 'ph' combination sounding like 'f' comes from Greek and it's letter phi. _Theta_ is funky too." She refused to note the small stumble he did at the first half of his academy nickname. "It's why read and led can sound the same but not read the same, whereas read and minute can spell the same as read and minute, but have two different meanings. Everyone who speaks English all agree it's a confusing language and one of the harder ones to learn, even as a mother tongue."

After a while, Rose said, "I saw Mr. Pooter this morning."

"Oh? What's he look like?" The Doctor asked.

"Dunno. Only saw him from the neck down. Smart, I s'pose. Dapper. Suit. You know. Likes cats." Chloe shuddered at the mention of cats before mentally groaning. She loved those little furballs.

"Doesn't mean he's a bad person." The Doctor stopped, looking up and down the street. They were beside the Thames. She could smell the river. "Yes," the Doctor decided, and walked up the path to the nearest house. "Here we are." The bell pull was a long metal rod hanging down beside the front door. The Doctor gave it a tug, and somewhere deep inside the house they could hear the bell jangling.

The door opened almost at once. Melissa Heart was standing there, her face a Pierrot split of black and white. A single white teardrop broke the varnished black of the left side of the mask. "Why, Doctor, and Rose and Chloe, this is unexpected," she said without a hint of surprise. "You do keep turning up. Like a bad wolf." The redhead barely kept her grimace off her face at the mention of the TARDIS-Rose metacrisis, instead raising a brow as the other woman kept her gaze on her.

"Penny," Rose corrected.

_No, she meant wolf_ _,_ Chloe thought, but smiled at the woman. "The phrase, it's 'like a bad penny'. Having trouble with the local idioms?"

"I know an idiom when I see one," Heart said coolly. "Tell me, are you here to put a smile on my face? Do come in, let me offer you a cup of tea." As the Doctor and Rose moved to step inside, Chloe felt something watching her, and as she turned, she saw a cloaked figure under a tree. Frowning, she made a mental note of it before stepping through, glancing back to see it had vanished.

"I hope you've not made the tea too many times while you waited," the Doctor was saying as she stepped into the room. "We had other appointments." She poured the tea without comment. "Deceptively spacious," the Doctor went on, hands in pockets as he looked round. "Doesn't look so big from outside. Which reminds me," he went on, slumping down into one of the chairs, "We've mislaid some property. You don't know where it is, I suppose?" The mask stared at him blankly. "Thought not." He raised the teacup, as if in a toast, then pointedly put it back on the saucer without drinking.

The room was large, but dominated by a long table that ran down one side of it. At the far end of the room, windows gave out on to a short terrace beside the river. On the left wall was a large fireplace, and in alcoves either side of it two matching suits of armour stood on low plinths. Their faces were blank polished metal visors. Each rested its clenched metal gauntlets on the pommel of a long sword that jabbed into the plinth between its feet.

The wall opposite the fireplace was adorned with several oil paintings and a large shield with two more swords crossed behind it. The wallpaper had faded and the paintwork was peeling. Dust lay everywhere, as if Melissa Heart had taken up temporary residence in an empty, abandoned house and made only the barest attempt to settle in.

Rose and Chloe didn't sit down. Instead, they stood beside the long, polished wooden table that ran the length of the room. Arranged along it was a line of masks. There must be twenty or more, the redhead thought. She recognised the ornate butterfly mask that Melissa had worn when they first met at Sir George's.

There were others that were just as stylised. Some had crude expressions painted on them with bold, iconic strokes. A broad uplifting smile contrasted with its neighbour – a mouth drooping with sadness and tears dripping from the eyes. Further along, a face with a straight mouth, wrinkled forehead and crow's feet round the dark-rimmed eyes stared angrily at the ceiling. One white face was completely blank...

"Why do you wear masks all the time?" Rose asked as Chloe stared at the familiar, French Droid face. There was no doubt in her mind now that this woman was either working with or controlling the droid that tried to kill Dickson and _had_ killed Beth.

Melissa picked up the happy face. She turned away from them briefly, and when she turned back she was smiling. She put the Pierrot mask in the space where the smile had been. "Some say it is because I am so beautiful none can look at me. Others say it is because I am so ugly.'

"Beauty's in the eye of the beholder," the Doctor said. "So it's possible both those theories are true." He leaped to his feet and surveyed the masks arranged on the table. "A face for every occasion."

"You think I am beautiful?" Melissa asked. She sounded amused.

"Beauty's only mask deep. Maybe you just don't like people to see your face."

"Why?" Rose asked. "Zits?" She didn't even wince as Chloe jabbed her with her elbow.

"Could be," the Doctor agreed, ignoring the redhead's glare. "Or she's afraid her face will give away what she's really thinking. How much better to wear a mask to show others what she'd like them to see."

"Isn't that what everyone does?" Melissa asked. "Perhaps I am simply more honest about it." She turned, the mask pointing straight at the Doctor. "How honest are you, Doctor? Are you really what you seem to be?"

The Doctor's face twitched into a half-smile. "And what do I seem to be?"

"A man out of his time and place, judging by what you keep in your pockets. By the way your jacket is made and the company you keep."

"Oi, don't be rude," Rose said.

Melissa did not turn, but her voice was steel-edged. "Please don't make me wear my angry face. Your manner, your demeanour, your vocabulary, your attitude. They all mark you out as an exception here."

"And how are you any different?" Chloe challenged, causing the masked woman to slowly turn. "Your manners are odd for the 1920s. Acting in such a way during a somber dinner is something to be expected for the Doctor, but for a woman of high standing? She'd be outcasted almost immediately had the company not been who they were. You're too cold, too standoffish, and your own vocabulary is stiff, unwavering. You aren't as sneaky as you think you are."

"It appears I was wrong about my first impression." Melissa Heart said, with the tiniest of head tilts. Oh great, she didn't need her attention either.

"So you're interested in exceptions," the Doctor said.

"Only one, I had thought. Are you the one I'm searching for, Doctor, Chloe? I rather think you are."

"I rather think I don't know what you're talking about." Chloe nodded in agreement with the Doctor, unsure of what was happening.

Now Melissa did turn to Rose. "You shield them, protect them despite everything, don't you? Adhering to the letter of the law. Despite what they have done."

"What have they done?" the blonde asked.

"Yes," the Doctor said brightly, "do tell."

"Don't be crass!" In a single gesture Melissa scooped up the angry mask from the table and held it in front of her smiling face. The smile slid out from behind and the angry face was pushed into place in its stead. "I warned you not to anger me. You know what I am talking about. Why I am here."

"Humour us," Chloe said. "Why are you here?"

Her voice was disconcertingly level and controlled behind the angry mask. "Why, to kill you of course." She stepped back and snapped her fingers – a gunshot of sound in the large room.

As the noise faded, Chloe became aware of another sound – a background ticking. Instinctively, she glanced at the empty mantel above the large fireplace across the room.

Suddenly, one of the suits of armour when it shuddered and moved. It lifted the heavy sword in its metal hands and stepped stiffly down from the low plinth. The featureless mask of its helmet swung slowly, jerkily at first, as it scanned the room. It paused, seeming to see Melissa Heart. Then it fixed on the Doctor as he stepped across and took Rose's and Chloe's hands. He was tense, ready to run.

The suit of armour stared blankly at the Doctor and Rose. The sword raised slowly, poised to strike the killing blow as it lumbered towards them, cutting off their escape. Its internal mechanisms and gears were clicking through their inexorable motions like the ticking of a clock.


	5. The Clockwise Man (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A siege that brings more questions than answers...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a poll up on [my fanfiction.net profile](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4459102/), the question being "Which regeneration should be the first one to kiss Chloe in Something Worth While?" You can select up to 2 choices, the answers being from 9 to 13, each with their own problems that come with the regeneration. For 9, it's during Winner Takes All. For 10, it's post-The Waters of Mars. For 11, it's during The Big Bang. For 12, it's post-Oxygen. For 13, it's post-Resolution. Go vote now!
> 
> If you haven't read The Clockwise Man, I highly suggest you do! I'm skipping a lot of dialogue and scenes that may help build the story, as such in the case with Beth, the maid Rose befriends, or how Rose knows Freddie so well.
> 
> I don't have a set update schedule, only that when there's over half a chapter complete, the one before it will be published. I'm unsure how many chapters TCM will take, only that after it will be The Monster Inside. After that, Chloe goes back home to live through a few important events.

"Clockwork," the Doctor said. "How clever." he sounded calm, but between her searching the room and keeping an eye on Heart and the armor, she could see him trying to find a way to escape.

"More clever than either of you have been." the Painted Lady tried, but Chloe snorted.

"Please, I figured it out soon after we saved that servant boy." she said, and she got the feeling the other redhead was scowling at her.

"I know how important it is to use one's initiative and avoid traceable, anachronistic technology."

"Ah."

"That was how I found you, of course."

"Of course. The TARDIS, and then the sonic screwdriver," he explained to the other two.

"I almost dismissed the readings at first, they were so far off the scale. And just when I was thinking you were not on this little planet at all. That all my efforts would be for nothing."

"Been looking for a while then," the Doctor said. He was pulling them with him round the table, away from the approaching suit of armour, keeping the table between them. Melissa's mask moved slightly as she watched.

"Faceless killers on the streets," Rose said. "Wonder who that could be then." The droid lunged forward, slashing downwards with the sword, causing the three to jump back. The blade whistled past the Doctor and into the table, cutting through the pierrot mask almost perfectly in half.

The Doctor then reached across and grabbed at the glade, trying to pull it away from the knight. Chloe let out a strangled gasp as his hand came back cut and bloodied. "Maybe not," he said. "That's sharp."

"More than she is," Rose retorted. "Who's she really looking for?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Someone you expected to meet at Sir George's, was it? You already had your suspicions. Some alien cuckoo in the nest of 1920s London? You can't have been sure, because you still came to see me."

Melissa Heart did not reply. Her face stared at them as blankly as the clockwork knight's. Rose was thinking about what the Doctor had said. The implications. "She's alien?"

"Behind the mask." He glanced towards the door, checking the way was clear. "Well, must dash. Sorry."

But as they turned to run, the second of the two knights beside the fireplace jerked into mechanical life and stepped swiftly across to block the way.

"So much for initiative," Chloe said, knowing it had been fool's hope

"Diplomacy?" the Doctor wondered. "Don't suppose you'd care to discuss the mistake you're making?"

Melissa stepped up beside the table, tapping an elegant finger next to the happy mask. "Don't make me laugh."

The Doctor sighed. "Thought not. Anachronistic technology it is then." He pulled the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket, aimed it squarely at the clockwork knight now approaching them from the doorway, and...

Nothing happened.

Melissa was wearing the smiling happy mask now. "I did of course remove the power source before I returned that device to you."

"Oh, you _bitch,_ " Chloe cursed, planting herself in front of the two advancing knights.

"Don't s'pose you have a mask showing smug self-satisfaction, do you?" the Doctor wondered.

"It would suit her," Rose agreed. Chloe was inclined to agree when she saw something over Melissa's shoulder and out towards the Thames. Saw the figure standing at the window, desperately pushing at it from the outside.

"Not for her," the Doctor was saying. "If you had smug self-satisfaction, you see…" He paused, as Freddie finally managed to heave the window open. "I'd like to borrow it! Come on, you two."

The swords crashed down, splitting the air where the Doctor, Chloe and Rose had been a second before. Together, they all leaped up on to the table, and jumped off across the room past Melissa Heart. Ran towards the open window. Behind them the knights' ticking did not miss a beat as they both turned and started round the table, following them.

"Thanks, Freddie," Rose gasped as she hurled herself after the Doctor through the window.

"Don't hang about," the Doctor called back.

Chloe watched as Rose grabbed Freddie's hand, and they ran stumbling after the Doctor. She put a hand over her bleeding ribs, took a deep breath, and then began to follow them as quickly as possible.

* * *

There was an alleyway leading round to the front of the houses, and they slowed to a walk once they were back on the road. Even so, Freddie struggled to keep up. He seemed both confused and euphoric.

"What were those things? People in armour? Why were they attacking you? I didn't get hurt. Not at all." He inspected his hands closely as they walked, making Rose smile while Chloe let out a small huff of laugh, hand still over her injury. "I was afraid I'd cut myself opening the window. There were splinters and everything."

"Can be nasty, splinters," the Doctor agreed.

"Better not tell your mum," Rose added. "She'd go spare."

Freddie nodded. "She'd be upset and worried."

"She'll be worried if you don't hurry home," the Doctor pointed out. "I'd come with you, but…"

"We're being followed?" Rose said, looking round.

"Probably. There again, she has the TARDIS and she knows that's important. I'll be back, to coin a phrase."

"Didn't take you to be a _Terminator_ fan," Chloe murmured.

"And those knights are really clockwork men?" Both she and the Doctor nodded.

Freddie's eyes widened. "Clockwork?"

The Doctor grinned at her, then turned quickly away. "Of a kind, Freddie. Self-winding, I imagine. The movement is self-perpetuating, at least to a point. They never stop. They never give up."

"I've seen them give," she said, leaning against the wall, doing her best to keep the wound hidden. "Granted, the situation surrounding their defeat was… strange."

"And they're after us. Great."

"Does anyone else smell blood?" The Doctor's question had her jump and then groan, the foreign feeling of pain making her want to kneel over. She hadn't felt like this since her accident that brought her here, so why was she feeling pain now? She felt cold hands on hers, pulling her hands away, and she heard the Doctor and Rose saying their goodbyes to Freddie and offered up her own little smile. Finally the blonde turned away, giving her and the Time Lord a little privacy. "How did this happen?"

"I was a bit slow on getting over the table," she mumbled. "Why does it hurt?" The Doctor let out a noise, digging through his pockets and pulling out a small first aid kit. Lifting her shirt, she hissed as he probed the wound.

"Some first trip this is," he said, making her let out a harsh laugh that turned into a wheeze as he suddenly tightened the gauze wrap around her.

"Honestly, it's living up to par to what I expected," she admitted, lowering the shirt before holding out a hand. "How's your hand?" He offered the gauze and his own injured hand in question. It looked as if it was a couple days from scabbing over, yet it had only been fifteen minutes since he had hurt himself at most. "I'm almost jealous," she teased, wrapping his hand before giving the excess back.

* * *

"Right, the plan," the Doctor announced as they reached the Imperial Club.

"Ready," Rose affirmed.

"Melissa will send her clockwork cronies after us as soon as it's dark."

"Sure?"

He nodded. "She's impatient now she thinks she's found me. And she's thrown caution to the wind. So we need to warn the other guests and organise some defences."

"Or run away?" Chloe offered, unsure on if she could actually run or not.

"Putting off the inevitable. Here we know the territory, and we have friends. Anyway, she'll trash the place looking for us whether we're here or not."

"So where do we start?"

The Doctor tapped his chin as he thought. "Rose, you've seen Mr. Pooter, so you go and convince him of the danger. I'll find Wyse and the others. Chloe, you're injured enough. Sit this out."

"I haven't seen Mr. Pooter," Rose protested. "Well , I mean I have seen him. But I haven't seen him." She paused. "Hang on. Reclusive character, hiding away, no one ever sees him... You don't think...?"

"Dunno, but I am _not_ hiding away." Chloe snapped. "I'll be staying with you, Doctor."

"Go on. Then meet me in the Bastille Room sharpish." He said to Rose.

"Yes, sir!" Rose snapped an ironic salute and started up the stairs.

The Doctor turned to Chloe and saw Crowther watching him. "You'd better come and listen to this too," the Doctor told him. "How many guests are staying here at the moment?"

"Besides yourselves, Doctor, and Wyse…" Crowther counted on his fingers as he followed the Doctor along the panelled corridor. "There's old Sir Henry, but he's confined to bed. Oliver Maffeking has gone to stay with friends tonight. Now that the Hansons have moved on, that just leaves Ranskill, Coleridge, Wensleydale. Several others. And Repple and Aske, of course."

"And the staff." Chloe added

"Indeed, miss."

Wyse was sitting in his usual chair. He looked up as the Doctor and Chloe entered, and smiled and nodded in greeting.

"find Aske and Repple and the other guests and see if they can join us," the Doctor said to Crowther. "And any of the staff who are about."

"Is it important, Doctor?"

"Vital. Go on." The Doctor walked slowly over to join Wyse. "I've a story to tell you," he said. "A true story, though you might find it hard to believe."

"How intriguing." The man's eyes glinted with amusement and he gestured for the Doctor to sit down. "I've heard some pretty rum stories in me time, I can tell you. So, what's this one all about then, eh?"

"It's about a Painted Lady. It's about clockwork killers. A manhunt. Mistaken identity. Assassination. The usual ingredients."

"Might be usual for you, Doctor," Wyse said. His eyes met the Doctor's deep gaze. "Yes, might very well be. You know," he said, standing up, "I was thinking it was a tad early for a brandy just now. But actually I think I will. Join me?"

"If it makes you feel better." He replied, but Chloe shook her head.

Several decanters were arranged on a low table by the fireplace. Wyse poured two brandies, then returned to his chair, handing the Doctor one of the glasses. "Now then," he said. "Shall we begin?"

* * *

By the time the Doctor had finished his story, Chloe was beyond worried. Not for what everyone in the hotel might think of her and the Doctor but worried for Rose. Where had the blonde gone?

Wyse held up his glass and swirled round the last drops of the pale liquid in the bottom of the bowl. He finished the drink and stood up. "Glad I had that brandy," he said. "Think I might have another. Anyone else?" He raised his eyebrows inquiringly at the Doctor and Chloe, then turned to include the staff in his invitation. "No? Then please don't mind me."

Aske joined him at the decanters and allowed Wyse to pour generous measures into two glasses. He took one back to Repple. Crowther cleared his throat. "Excuse me, Doctor, but what are you suggesting we do? If I have understood correctly, you believe these assassins will be making their way here as soon as it is dark."

"Guess so," the Doctor agreed. "So we all have to make our choices." He counted them off on his fingers. "Stand and fight. Barricade the doors and try to scare them off. Hide under the tables." He still had a finger left and clicked his tongue as if trying to remember the final option. "Run away," he decided at last. "Let them rampage about and cause trouble on their own. Maybe try to lead them off, but I doubt it'd work."

"I shall not run away," Repple announced. "I think we all know who these assassins are really after." He stood up, brandy in one hand, the other in his jacket pocket. Aske stood beside him, mirroring the stance. "I have always known that this time might come," Repple went on. "That the evil forces that oppose me at home would hunt me down."

"We can't be certain it's for your benefit," the Doctor pointed out gently.

Repple ignored him as Chloe glanced between the two, looking for clues. "Who will stand with me in my hour of need? Which of you has the courage and the honour to do battle with the forces ranged against us?" He lifted the glass. "To victory," he declared. "And to Dastaria." Repple and Aske drank, then sat down again.

Wyse took a half-hearted sip at his brandy. "Yes, well, be that as it may," he said, "I'm afraid it's Wednesday, so I don't think I shall be able to help. Prior engagement, you know. But," he added, "I shall hurry back in the event I can be of any assistance."

The Doctor stared at him. "Prior engagement?"

Wyse looked slightly embarrassed. "Long-standing. Couldn't possibly miss it. Every Wednesday." He pulled out a watch on a chain from his waistcoat pocket, pushed his monocle into place, and checked the time. "Got an hour or so before I have to leave, if that's any help. But every Wednesday I play chess with a friend just along the Embankment. Never miss. Sorry. Be right back," he added with an apologetic smile. "But, you know – can't let the blighters win, can we? Can't let them set the rules and dictate to us how we spend our own time."

This last comment seemed to strike a chord with Repple, who nodded grimly in agreement.

While Wyse had been talking, several staff and a few guests had taken the chance to slip away. The room was looking rather empty now. Chloe counted off the people left – Aske and Repple, Crowther and two of his men. The remaining guests were two elderly men – one of whom the Doctor was sure was so deaf he didn't know what was being discussed – and a middle-aged gentleman of enormous girth who was grinning with eager anticipation.

She heard the Doctor sighed. No doubt he was kicking himself for even trying to gather the people to fight like an army. "With the exception of Miss Nightingale, I've sent the ladies away, Doctor," Crowther confessed. "I hope that was correct."

The Doctor nodded as the redhead scowled. "S'pose so. Too late now if it wasn't. Though Rose is always useful in a –" He broke off, looking round. "Where is Rose?"

"Now you ask!" She grumbled. "I've been worrying about her since halfway through your story!"

* * *

The fat man was called Wensleydale. Like the cheese, as the Doctor pointed out with obvious amusement. He had been a lieutenant in the Fusiliers, he told the three. "In younger days," he added, patting his enormous stomach.

"Thank you for staying," Rose said.

He laughed it off. "Couldn't let you down. Anyway, got nothing much better to do, and can't leave decent people in the lurch."

"Unlike Wyse," Chloe said. She turned to the Doctor. "How could he just leave like that?"

The Doctor shrugged. "He said he'd be back."

"Yeah, like Schwarzenegger."

"He did come back," the Doctor pointed out. "Maybe Wyse will return to save the day."

"He's a good sort really," Wensleydale assured them. "But Wednesday's his chess night. Everyone knows that. Plays against some fellah named Ben something or other. Dunno where he lives, but Wyse once told me you can see his place from the Embankment. Seemed to find that amusing, but he's a cheerful cove any old how."

"What about the cat?" Rose asked the Doctor once Wensleydale had left them.

"Dead duck."

"No, cat. But it's dead all right. If clockwork animals can die."

"Which I really doubt," Chloe said, raising an eyebrow as she stood. "It came back from drowning, didn't it?"

"We'll worry about it later then."

"Think it's something to do with Melissa Heart and her clockwork knights?" The Doctor pursed his lips and stared at her. "OK, so big coincidence if it isn't, right?"

"Right."

"And you really think she'll come after us?" He kept the same expression, so Rose sighed and went on, "OK, another stupid question. Just forget I'm here, like usual."

"Oh." He was mortified. "I never forget you. How could I ever forget you, Rose Taylor?" Chloe busted out into laughter that had her groaning, hand going to her side.

"Tyler," she corrected him. But they were all smiling now.

* * *

"So what now?" Chloe asked as the group gathered in the foyer, the two Clockwork pounding at the front door. "Should we just, I dunno, go with them?"

"If I thought it would end there," the Doctor said quietly. "But it isn't really us she's after. And when she works that out…" she shook his head. "No, we have to…" he trailed off, staring into space, and the redhead reached over, gently taking his hand and squeezing it.

"Stand and fight?" Wensleydale suggested, brandishing a service revolver, making Chloe shrink back slightly.

"A noble sentiment," Repple agreed. Aske, however, said nothing.

"On balance," the Doctor said between thumps from the door, "I think…" He paused to allow for the first splintering of the heavy wood. "Run away," he decided.

Repple caught the Doctor by the arm as he strode across the foyer. "You fear to fight?"

"I fear to lose." The Doctor shook Repple's hand off him. "Those aren't people. Not flesh and blood to be stopped with bullets or brute force. Not human like you and…" He reconsidered. "Like you," he decided. "Once inside they'll kill every one of you to get at me. Not you, me. Got it?"

"Shouldn't we telephone the police for assistance?" One of the two old men asked, his companion nodding in agreement.

"What?" Chloe couldn't help but stare at him in disbelief. "Are you thick or something? Did you not just hear the Doctor? Guns and bullets won't stop this problem. Calling the police will just lead to more people dying."

"So what do we do?" Aske demanded. "Wait here to be ripped apart by these mechanical things?" As if to emphasise the point, a panel of the door exploded inwards. A metal fist thrust through, clenching and unclenching before withdrawing to strike again.

"Clockwork, that's the key," the Doctor told him, grinning at the pun. "Clockwork soldiers, and clockwork cats. Technology that doesn't stand out, that can't be detected, that isn't out of time and place."

The door was splintering now. The two knights were clearly visible through the holes punched in the paneling. One of them reached in and scrabbled for the bolts, drawing them back. The lock would not hold for long. Already the metal was screeching and straining with every thump.

"Mr. Pooter," Rose said quietly. "He's behind this, isn't he?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No such person."

"I've seen him. The trustees or whoever they are had a meeting with him."

"With someone," the Doctor corrected her.

"What are you talking about?" Repple demanded. "You say you won't stand and fight, yet any moment now you will have to."

The Doctor turned full circle, taking in everyone, gaze lingering on Chloe or, rather, her wounded side before turning to Crowther. "It's me and Chloe they think they want." he said. "You and your chums, back to the kitchens. If there's no one trying to get in there, get the back door open."

"There might be more of them." Chloe sighed, closing her eyes.

"Or Miss Melissa," he agreed, glancing at her. "They don't want us just walking out the back as they come in the front, that'd be a bit daft." he turned back to Crowther. "When and if it's all clear, leg it. If we're not after you in half an hour then we're not gonna be." Crowther nodded, looking pale, but in control, though the two servants with him were less composed. One couldn't have been older than Rose and he looked ready to just break down crying. The Doctor then turned to Wensleydale and the elderly men. "You three, back to the Bastille Room. Only one way in, so you can defend yourselves better in there. Let's hope you don't have to. Wensleydale - look after them."

"Sir!" The said man snapped importantly. The Doctor paused in front of Chloe and she barely had time to compute that the Time Lord was motioning for her to get onto his back as the door shattered into pieces and the knights forced their way in.

"And where are we going?" Repple yelled as the redhead hopped on, glancing at the blonde with wide eyes.

"With me," the Doctor yelled back, grabbing Rose's hand before running, not even bothered by her extra weight. "To see a man about a cat."

* * *

"They are searching each floor, so we have some time," Aske reported. "One of them stays on the stairs to prevent our escape, the other checks each room. Simple, but effective."

"Driving us to this top floor," Repple said.

"Unless we sneak out down the fire escape," Rose pointed out. "Maybe they haven't thought of that."

"They usually do," Chloe replied from where she was sitting beside Mr. Pooter's door.

The Doctor was lying on the floor in front of the door to Mr. Pooter's rooms. He had the panel of the door open, the one where Rose had seen the cat emerge. He had peered into the darkness beyond, and now his arm was thrust inside and he was feeling round. "Yeah, they've got us just where she wants us." He pulled out his arm and stood up.

"Anything?" Rose asked.

He shook his head. "Metal box. Like an airlock. The cat enters the box, box closes. Panel in door opens, cat creeps out."

"An airlock?" Repple said.

"Oh, I doubt there's a different atmosphere behind there. I think it's to stop something else escaping with the cat."

"Mr. Pooter?"

The Doctor smiled at Rose. "In a way." He pulled the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket and aimed it at the lock on the door. "This should…" He stopped. Nothing was happening. The screwdriver was silent, not working. The Doctor frowned and banged it into his palm several times before trying again.

"You should really carry a spare." she said, thinking back to all the times he had to save the day without the sonic. "Just like, in a separate pocket or something so someone can't steal both."

"Good idea," by the tone of his voice, she knew he wasn't going to, which made her sigh.

"Flat battery?" Rose asked.

"No battery at all." He replied. "She took it out."

"Who?" Aske wanted to know.

"Melissa Heart," Rose told him. "She's nobbled it. So what now?"

The Doctor sniffed. "Something less subtle," he decided. And shoulder-charged the door, making Chloe cringe and grab at her own shoulder.

It took the three of them – the Doctor, Repple and Aske – several attempts, encouraged by Rose, who had to be dissuaded from joining in, before the door finally gave way. It swung open sharply, so the three of them tumbled and sprawled into the room. They picked themselves up and looked round in astonishment.

Rose followed them in. Chloe leaned against the door way, looking around in surprise. "What is all this?" the redhead asked.

The large room behind the door was paneled, like so many others in the building. But the walls were clad not in polished wood, but in dull grey metal. Even the floor and the ceiling were coated with it, like a huge metal box. There was no furniture, and dominating the room was a dark metal control console.

Lights flickered and pulsed, power hummed, dials whirred, meters registered various readings. The front of the console jutted out, like a piano, towards the door. But there were no obvious input mechanisms. A bank of screens above the extended section gave different views that Rose recognised as rooms in the building.

As she watched, the pictures changed, switching from one room to another in rapid succession – like the control room of the CCTV system at work in the shop, she thought. One of the screens paused on a picture of the Bastille Room. The camera zoomed in on Wensleydale and the two old men as they manoeuvred furniture to make a barricade in front of the door. It lingered on Wensleydale, then focused in close-up on the revolver he was holding.

The whole assembly was of a dark plastic-like material. Apart from the screens and various controls and read-outs, the only other colour was a triangle of white against the black under the extended front section. It reminded Chloe of the cat.

And speaking of the cat.

On one side of the console was what looked vaguely like a wine rack. Except that inside most of the pigeonholes was lying the dark, furry body of a cat. She counted over a dozen. Each identical – a black cat with a white triangle of fur under the chin. Just like the console. "Oh that's so weird," she exclaimed, causing Rose to look at the wall as well.

"The lead shields the emissions," the Doctor said, tapping one of the walls. "Melissa Heart would have detected it immediately otherwise. Same reason for the airlock."

"But what is it?" Rose said. "What's it for?"

"It is monitoring events in the building," Aske said quietly, nodding at the screens.

"You knew it was here?" Rose asked.

He shook his head. "The purpose seems evident."

"Some direct feeds," the Doctor said, examining the console. "Shielded, of course. Audio and visual links. Then for specific tasks, or to monitor outside the building, it uses the cats."

"Which is why they're clockwork," Rose realised.

"Can't be detected," Chloe murmured. "No power source, nothing anachronistic in clockwork. Just the way that it's applied."

"And the psycho-killer laser-beam eyes?"

"You can get clockwork radios," the Doctor pointed out. "Clockwork torches where you squeeze a handle. Same principle. Just shining a light."

"Sorry," Rose said to Repple and Aske. "This is probably a bit beyond you two." She grinned to show it was child's play to her, but Chloe shook her head, taking the two in carefully. _I wouldn't say that Rosie..._

"This is not powered by clockwork," Repple said, nodding at the console.

"But I can hear it ticking," Rose said. She was aware of the sound, but couldn't think when she had first started to hear it. When they came into the room, she supposed.

"There may be some clockwork components. But nuclear emission cells, more like," the Doctor agreed. "There's a backup supply cable round here. Give us a hand."

* * *

The Doctor had Rose, Repple and Aske crouching behind the console while she sat, leaning against the Doctor's legs, giggling a little as he wiggled a heavy, well-insulated cable that spat and hissed like a snake that had eaten a sparkler. "Shouldn't be long," he said with a grin, showering sparks across the floor.

The footsteps came first, rhythmic and very clocklike before the ticking could be heard, though she had a feeling the humans wouldn't be able to tell a difference between the two. Then, they were in the doorway, faces blank and unforgiving.

The voice could have come from either of the knights, but it was impossible to tell, as they gave no movement. The words were rhythmic, uninflected and mechanical. Rasping, metallic, unemotional.

"Doc-tor, Chlo-ee, you will surr-en-der." She shuddered. An octave higher, it would be Cyberman level, and another above that, it would be Dalek. "Give up now." One of the knights, perhaps the one that had spoken, stepped into the room. It raised its arms jerkily, and started towards the Doctor, gauntlet fingers clutching as they reached for his throat.

The Doctor stood his ground. He waited until the knight was almost on him, then jabbed out with the cable. He stabbed it into the figure's outstretched hand and sparks exploded from the metal palm. The knight staggered back, blue lightning flashing and echoing round its whole body. It stood absolutely still, but Rose could still hear the rhythmic ticking from inside.

"I'd be careful," the Doctor said. "That was just a free taster. A longer blast might seriously damage your health."

"Like smoking," Rose added.

"We can arrange that too." Chloe finished, returning the Doctor's and Rose's grins. At last it seemed like they had the upper hand. She slowly stood up, taking a few steps back, towards Rose.

"Now, I've a few questions," the Doctor went on, dangling the cable so that sparks dripped to the floor beside his feet. "Luckily, they won't need long answers. In fact multiple choice is probably easiest. Starter for ten…" He sucked in a deep breath as he considered. "Let's keep it simple. Where's Melissa Heart? Is she, (a), inside the building or, (b), outside the building?" The knights did not reply. The Doctor waited, tapped his foot with mock impatience. "Ding," he said at last. "But thanks for playing. Time for another shock."

"How very true." The voice came from behind the knights. A voice they all recognised at once. Melissa stepped past the knight at the door and into the room. But she was not alone. She was pushing a small, frightened figure in front of her. Freddie's eyes were wide and scared, his cheeks damp from his tears.

"I'm sorry," he said in a small voice.

Melissa thrust Freddie at the knight by the door. It grabbed him by the wrist and held him tight. "You let that child go," Chloe seethed.

"What now?" Aske said, stepping up beside Chloe.

"You would use children to fight men? So much for honour." Repple spat, stepping beside to her other side.

"Honour died long ago in this war." Melissa said, black mask smiling but voice shaking with anger. "Now, Doctor, put down that cable before someone gets hurt. I don't need to offer you a multiple choice of victims, do I?" The knight holding Freddie pulled him closer, its free metal hand closing around the boy's neck.


	6. The Clockwise Man (Part 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revelations and attempted escapes happen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a poll up on [my fanfiction.net profile](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4459102/), the question being "Which regeneration should be the first one to kiss Chloe in Something Worth While?" You can select up to 2 choices, the answers being from 9 to 13, each with their own problems that come with the regeneration. For 9, it's during Winner Takes All. For 10, it's post-The Waters of Mars. For 11, it's during The Big Bang. For 12, it's post-Oxygen. For 13, it's post-Resolution. Go vote now!
> 
> If you haven't read The Clockwise Man, I highly suggest you do! I'm skipping a lot of dialogue and scenes that may help build the story, as such in the case with Beth, the maid Rose befriends, or how Rose knows Freddie so well.
> 
> I don't have a set update schedule, only that when there's over half a chapter complete, the one before it will be published. I'm unsure how many chapters The Monster Inside will take, only that after it, Chloe goes back home to live through a few important events.

"Let him go." Chloe said again.

"Doctor?" Melissa Heart prompted.

"Keep hold of the cable," Aske hissed. "We have the advantage."

She couldn't believe he would gamble with the boy's life. "What if she means it?" Rose demanded.

Aske gave a snort of derision. "She can't kill him twice. Once he's dead she's got nothing to bargain with."

"I can't risk it," the Doctor said, his voice quiet but determined.

Repple pushed in front of Aske, gesturing for the man to step back. "What sort of woman uses children as hostages?" he demanded. He turned to Aske. "The Doctor is right. We cannot risk a single innocent life. Lay down the cable, Doctor. We shall take the consequences."

"But, sire – what if she still kills the boy? And us?"

Repple shrugged, his face as expressionless as Melissa's mask. "That will be on her conscience, not mine. If she can live with her actions, then let her. But I could not live with mine if we don't surrender."

"Quite right," the Doctor said. Chloe found herself sighing in relief as he dropped the cable to the floor, kicking it aside so it was out of reach. "Now, let the boy go before I have to make you."

For a moment, the redhead thought Melissa was going to have him killed anyway. But then she gave a shake of her head, and the knight released Freddie. The boy stumbled forward, gasping, rubbing his throat. Rose ran to help him.

"I'm touched," Melissa said, watching.

"That has two meanings," Rose snapped. "One of them's true enough."

"Insult me all you like, girl," Melissa said in her honeyed voice. "Now that I have found this butcher, nothing can dampen my pleasure."

"You don't sound that pleased," the Doctor retorted. "Sure it's really me you want?"

Melissa took a step towards him. The knights now flanked her, standing immobile and silent save for the staccato ticking of their internal mechanisms. "Oh, I am sure now. I did think you were sheltering with Sir George when I heard of this desire to reinstate a deposed ruler. Well, you can imagine what I thought."

"Nope, wrong," the Doctor told her.

She ignored him. "I soon found that Sir George's scheme is the mad hope of a dreamer. He is after all merely human, and his prince is rather more commonplace and earthly than the one I was seeking. A boy," she said with audible contempt. Rose pulled Freddie into a hug, holding him close and safe while Chloe remained planted firmly in front of them.

"Not the murderer I wanted." Melissa pointed at the Doctor. "You."

"Wrong again. Last chance."

"Then on the way to the dinner, I finally detected the power emissions, as you know. From your quaint sonic device, and from your strange blue box. Then I was almost sure. But there was still a chance that you were not the one I was after. I had to be absolutely sure, you see."

"Oh yeah. Can't have you killing innocent people by mistake." The Doctor's face was dark with anger. "Like that poor maid."

"Unfortunate." The mask turned away slightly, and she sounded suddenly sad, which made Chloe scowl. "My friends here don't know their own strength. We didn't mean to kill her, or the other one. Unlike you," she went on, suddenly angry again. "Think of the thousands you have killed with your executions, your genocidal cleansing, your disappearances and so-called justice."

The Doctor shook his head again. "Ding," he pronounced. "Wrong again. If that's all…"

"All?" she screamed at him. "You murder tens of thousands, and you ask if that is all?"

The Doctor's reply was level and quiet, but edged with anger. "You've got the wrong man."

"Have I?" she shot back. She reached into her sleeve and pulled out a long, slim tube. The cigarette holder that Rose had seen her use in the gallery downstairs. Only now there was no cigarette burning in it, and she was pointing it straight at the Doctor. But when she fired, she was aiming at a different target.

The tip of the tube glowed a sudden red. Then a bolt of fire shot out, blasting into the front of the control console. Screens exploded. Rose and Freddie dived to the floor as glass showered across the room. Freddie shrieked with fright, clutching at Rose. "Glass!" he wailed in fear. "Don't let it cut me!"

Aske and Repple both flung themselves sideways. Chloe forced herself to stumble away from the console, eyes wide as she stared at the two men. Only the Doctor did not move. The debris flew past him as the main part of the console exploded, but he seemed not to notice. A piece of glass whipped across his jacket sleeve, ripping a hole. He ignored it.

"Missed," the Doctor said.

"It might be your jailer," Melissa replied as the noise of the explosion died away. "It might be programmed to prevent your ever leaving this backward planet, but I know that it is also programmed to defend you. To make sure the order of that jumped-up court is obeyed and your safe exile is not violated."

"So you destroy a sentient being? Oh, machine intelligence, I know. Not really the same thing." The Doctor turned and patted the scarred side of the console. "Even so, I bet that hurt. And all for nothing. I'm not the man you take me for. Though I'll be interested to find out who is. To smoke them out."

Melissa laughed, though there was no humour or joy in the sound. "You stand here in front of an Al terminal adorned with the emblem of Katuria and you dare to tell me that you are not Shade Vassily?"

"He's not you bint," Chloe sneered just as someone else spoke.

"He isn't." The voice was quiet, but firm. Repple stepped in front of Chloe, Rose and Freddie and looked straight at Melissa Heart. "I am Shade Vassily," he said, causing the redhead to let out a strangled noise.

The Doctor blinked. "Are you?"

"Of course he isn't." It was Aske who spoke. He shouldered Repple aside. "This man is my patient. He has delusions. He believes himself to be a deposed ruler, and now you've given him a name and a cause."

"What are you talking about?" Repple demanded angrily. "You know who I am."

Melissa looked from one to the other, her face inscrutable behind the mask. But the deadly tube she was holding still pointed unerringly at the Doctor.

"They're both mad," Rose assured her. "But not as mad as you are if you think the Doctor's some sort of deposed dictator."

"He was Lord President a few times, but he always ran away," Chloe added quietly.

"It was the last action of the Imperial Court," Melissa said, as if not hearing her. "They exiled Vassily before the revolutionaries took control. They should have executed him." There was bitterness in her voice. "But instead they sent him to live a carefree life on a primitive planet, with another Katurian as both jailer and bodyguard."

"To protect him and to ensure he didn't escape from exile?" the Doctor said.

"As you know full well. The records were destroyed, so we didn't know what planet. We didn't know the jailer was actually an AI."

"I am Shade Vassily," Repple said again. "Can't you see that? How can you not see that?" He was standing erect, one hand on his chest. "Shade Vassily, Imperial Prater of Katuria. Master of the Seven Heavens. Protector of the Fleet Victorious. High General of Yelkan and Speaker of the Masses."

Slowly, Melissa swung towards Repple. Slowly she moved her weapon to cover him.

Aske stepped forward, in front of Repple. He held out one hand, a gesture of supplication. The other hand was thrust into his jacket pocket. "You see how insane he is? I don't know where he has picked that up from, but he's a harmless…" He got no further. With a blur of movement, Aske pulled his hand from his jacket pocket. Rose could see that it was holding a tube, similar to the one Melissa had. The end was already glowing red, and Aske's face had hardened to granite.

Melissa froze. Rose was sure she could see fear in the eyes behind the mask. Just for a second. All the time it took for the nearer of the two knights to turn slightly and raise its arm.

A flash of light, reflecting off polished metal. A blade, spinning at lightning speed across the room. It slammed into Aske's throat, knocking him sideways and backwards. The tube in his hand spat fire across the room, but the shot went wide, merely scarring the dark, metal wall. Aske crashed to the floor, the blade jutting from his neck, blood welling up from the wound.

When he spoke, his voice was a painful gasp. His last words were: "He's lying. I am Shade Vassily." There was silence for a minute as Repple knelt beside his friend, checking for a pulse before shaking his head. Hesitantly, she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Well," the Doctor said. "Guess that's settled then. If you'll return my blue box, we'll be on our way."

Melissa still held her weapon, still had it pointing at the Doctor. "I took the precaution of arming the Mechanicals after your escape," she said. "Please do not expect me to make any more mistakes."

"Oh, look, he just told you it was him," Rose blurted. 'Deathbed confession. Literally. Sorry," she added as Repple looked over at her.

"Silly question," the Doctor said, "but don't you know what this Shade person looks like?"

"I can answer your question, Doctor," Repple said wearily. He lowered Aske's head gently to the floor and stood up, Chloe's hand falling of his shoulder as he did so. He stared levelly at Melissa and the two Mechanicals, then turned to the Doctor. "We Katurians are humanoid, but not human. A Katurian here on Earth would be obvious, and the sentence of the court was that I should be exiled and forgotten. Made insignificant. Dishonoured. My appearance was changed, so that I would fit in."

"Know the feeling," the Doctor said quietly. "Go on."

"Aske too was altered. He was to be my jailer and bodyguard, as the woman says. He became…" He looked down at the figure on the floor. "He became a friend, though he rarely let me out of his sight. Oh, I could have my freedom while in exile, provided I never tried to escape. Any explicit attempt and he would kill me. That was his task. His duty."

"So why admit to being an exiled ruler?" Rose wanted to know. "If she was after you?"

"How else should I behave?" Repple demanded. "I am rightly proud of my heritage and my achievements. Aske persuaded me to change the name of the empire I ruled, to scale it back so as not to draw attention, either from the humans or from Katurian revolutionaries."

"And you did?" Chloe said.

"With his hand always on his blaster, how could I refuse? But I will never hide what I truly am."

"He didn't know we were looking for him," Melissa said, staring through the mask at Repple.

"Sure it's him then?" the Doctor said. "Not me?"

She ignored him. "I could not be certain what planet you had been exiled to or what you looked like."

"So," Rose interrupted, "lucky guess or what?"

"I have friends, people in the hierarchy who have suffered as I have and who still long to see Vassily brought to proper justice."

"Justice?" the Doctor echoed. "Oh – you mean, executed. Exile too good for him, is it?"

"Far too good." The hatred and contempt all but dripped from her words. "I was quite prepared to search this world and a dozen others until I found this butcher."

"I brought honour to Katuria," Repple snarled. "I built us an empire, and you fritter it away. Yes, there was a cost. But it is as nothing to the suffering and death your so-called revolution will bring with it."

Melissa pointed the tubular weapon at Repple. Her hand was shaking, and so was her voice. "I fashioned my team so they would fit in with the civilisation we searched. And I underwent genetic modification myself, just as you did, so as to fit in."

"You don't," the Doctor said. "Do you? Oh, clockwork knights, OK – nothing too out of the ordinary there. Until they start wandering about killing people of course. But a Painted Lady? Bound to attract attention."

"It was not deliberate," she replied sadly. "There was... a problem."

"Your operation went wrong?" Repple wondered. "We destroyed all records of the exile destination and the operations we needed to fit in."

"The operation went perfectly. The scientists of the revolution are every bit as talented as your hackers and cutters, and I had help from the best of them," Melissa insisted. "Don't flatter yourself that because you are safe from the weak-willed leaders who have replaced you that you can escape those of us who know what you are capable of."

"Then why hide your face?" Rose asked. "If it is so perfect." Chloe remembered what the other woman had said. _Too ugly to look at._

Rose got her answer. Melissa reached up with her free hand and took hold of the black and silver mask. "It was a failure of intelligence, of data. Not of technology or talent. I took information from whatever sources I could beg or buy. I had to assume it was accurate, to take everything on trust." She pulled away the mask and turned directly to Rose and Chloe

Freddie screamed, his head snapping round as he looked away, eyes tight shut. She heard the Doctor's sharp intake of breath. Repple took a step backwards. Chloe stared back at Melissa Heart, unable to take her eyes off the wreckage of a face. Unable to look away from the grotesque features, the parody of humanity. She could feel her impossible heart thumping in her chest, keeping time with the clicking of the Mechanicals; white noise rushing through her ears as Melissa Heart stared back at her through eyes that now seemed too human.

"This is how we thought you would look," she said, and Chloe's heart broke.

* * *

They were at a stalemate, neither side knowing what to do, up until Wensleydale jammed his gun into Heart's neck, making the droids freeze.

"Well done Wensleydale," the Doctor said, making the said man smile.

"My pleasure, Doctor. Now Mr Crowther will lead you and your friends to safety while I keep these people here."

"You won't escape," Melissa said. Her voice sounded strained.

Wensleydale laughed. "Oh, I know that. So you'd best be careful, you and your chums here."

"What do you mean?" Rose demanded. She was pushing Freddie towards the door where Crowther was waiting. The metal men swung round to watch, but made no attempt to stop them. "You're coming with us."

Wensleydale shook his head. "I'm out of puff just coming upstairs. I'd only slow you down. I can't run. But you must."

The Doctor and Repple were both looking at Wensleydale now. "There must be another way," Repple said.

"Let's discuss this," the Doctor suggested.

"We have discussed it, Crowther and I. You should go. Not waste any more time."

The Doctor nodded to Rose and Chloe, the latter hesitant to move. "Go on." She took a step forward, pausing as the droids snapped towards her.

"You go on ahead Doctor." she said. When he went to probably tell her off, Wensleydale glanced away, allowing Heart to bring up the small weapon to her face. "No!" She cried, practically seeing what was about to happen and lunged forward, shoving the man down to the ground. The gun fired just as a burning heat flared across the redhead's back, causing her to cry out and collapse.

"Run!" She could hear the Doctor yelling. "Find Wyse!" Forcing herself to open her eyes, she could see the Doctor trying to get to her, but a knight was in the way, and she could vaguely make out Repple looking between the two. Then, the leader in exile stepped back into the room, allowing Wensleydale to leave.

"And you call me a murderer." he sneered. "At least let her soon-to-be windower be with her as she passes." Part of her wanted to protest, but did she really look that bad? She saw Heart glance at her, face filled with sorrow, before she nodded to the droid blocking the Doctor, and he was quick to kneel by her side.

"Doesn't really hurt," she mumbled. "Why did the blade hurt?"

"I don't know, but you need to stay awake, ok?" he said, and as she murmured an affirmative, keeping her gaze on the misshapened woman.

"I had no choice," Heart said.

"There's always a choice," the Doctor told her. "Why did you choose to stay?" he asked Repple.

"You are in harm's way because of me, Doctor. I could not abandon you to these... people."

"And now?" the Doctor asked.

"Now you will come with me back to my house," Melissa said. The remaining Mechanical stepped forwards, urging them towards the door. One stopped by Chloe, grabbing her by her arms and dragging her up into a standing position. She was aware of the pressure and that she should be screaming, but she blinked rapidly and let out a shaky breath.

"Tea? How kind." The Doctor said, sparing a glance at her.

_I'm fine_ , she mouthed, getting a disbelieving look in return.

"I have a ship ready to take us back to Katuria."

"No tea?"

"And there you will stand trial for your crimes. All three of you."

"Three of us?" Repple said.

The Doctor's eyes narrowed as he watched Melissa, waited for her reply.

"It will be a triumphant moment, though overshadowed by the thought of the death, the carnage, the destruction you have caused." She was staring straight at Repple, through her mask. "The trial of the hated Shade Vassily, who is responsible for so many deaths." She turned to face the Doctor and Chloe. "And his accomplices."

At gunpoint, she and the Mechanical had led the Doctor, who was once again carrying Chloe on his back, and Repple from the imperial Club. The other Mechanical was waiting for them at the house. It gave a halting account of how Rose, Freddie and Crowther had escaped. Melissa dismissed this as irrelevant. She had who she wanted. Now, while she sent messages to arrange an escort and instructed the Mechanicals to begin the power-up procedures, the three were confined to the space between cellar and ship.

"Fish tank," the Doctor said angrily. Airlocks were at either end, and two walls of glass. Above them, glass, below them, the riverbed seen through glass. Like standing underwater. He thumped his fist on the transparent wall in front of him. From where she was sitting against an airlock, she could see the mirrored image shimmering as the glass moved.

"I don't think you can smash your way out," Repple said.

"Not without creating a weak point somehow. Need something sharp to score it, or heavy to wallop it. Preferably both."

"There is no escape," Repple pronounced. He stood staring at his reflection. "I shall face my trial and execution with the dignity of a Katurian noble."

"Melissa seems to think you're anything but noble," the Doctor pointed out.

"Propaganda. The revolutionaries have to justify seizing power somehow. They do that by blaming the previous regime-blaming me – for imaginary misdemeanours."

"Misdemeanours?" Chloe scoffed. "She was talking about genocide. Whole communities wiped out to preserve your empire. Planets ravaged for daring to question your authority. Thousands of people simply disappearing to suit a political purpose."

"There are two sides to every event," Repple replied fiercely. "Yes, there were rebellions that were put down. Yes, planets tried to secede from the empire. But it was in their best interests to stay part of the alliance and that is what the majority of their populations wanted."

"So you wiped them out?" The Doctor shook his head, incredulous.

"Of course not. She exaggerates. There were no reprisals, no needless executions. Everything was done with honour and justice. The empire would fall apart if it wasn't based on fairness and the struggle to do what is best. It will fall apart now these murderers and mercenaries are in control."

"You really believe that?" the Doctor asked quietly.

Repple was staring right at him in the glass; his reflected gaze held the Doctor's. "I do. You saw what she did to Aske."

"He was trying to kill her." She murmured, not looking at him. Aske hadn't deserved to die.

"He was trying to save us all." Repple looked away as well. "I should have died in his place."

The Doctor clicked his tongue and paced out the length of the glass-walled cell. "Discovering the truth's very difficult when so many people are lying," he said. "Even harder if they don't know they're lying."

"Meaning?"

"That you really believe Shade Vassily, ruler of Katuria with all those titles and long words after his name, is an honourable man. Noble."

"How else could I live with myself?"

"But Melissa obviously thinks differently. How can you both be right?"

"She is lying," Repple said. "Or wrong. Or both."

"But when it comes down to who we believe…" Chloe said, glancing up at the Doctor, who was still pacing. "She has the passion, the answer, resentment and commitment. But you… you stayed to try and help us. You insisted that Freddie not be in danger. You grieved for your friend, who was also your jailer and possible executioner."

"Thank you, Miss Nightingale,"

"For what?" She asked as the man finally looked at her.

"For believing me."

"Don't thank me yet. Your actions are at odds with Heart's description. She has a chance of being right." Their gazes met, and for a split second, she saw remorse in his eyes.

Finally, Repple turned from her and glanced at the Doctor. "So you think I have changed? Mellowed with my exile? You believe I am a reformed mass murderer?"

"One possibility. But like the truth about you and Aske, several theories may fit the same facts. Perhaps none of them's right."

"She thinks I was an unjust ruler," Repple said vehemently. "That is simply not true. I was deposed by extremists, terrorists with their own twisted agenda." He jabbed his finger into the Doctor's chest. "I was not a despot." Another jab. "I was not a tyrant." He was advancing, making the Doctor move back to the glass wall behind him.

At the next jab, the Doctor caught Repple's hand in his own. With his other hand, he jabbed back at Repple's chest. "You were not a ruler at all," he said.

"Are you calling me a liar?" Repple cried. "You think that perhaps Aske was Vassily?"

"No." The Doctor's voice was calm now, almost soothing. His tone had her sitting up; he figured something out, knew what was wrong with the story. "Course not. He knew you were Shade Vassily. He died for that belief, his belief in you. He was as sure that you're Shade Vassily as you are. After all, he was sent to protect and guard you, sent to keep you in exile. Given all the facts." The Doctor shook his head sadly. "Except one."

"What do you mean?"

"You know," the Doctor said, resuming his pacing, "how sometimes you only appreciate something when it is taken away from you."

"You mean my freedom?"

"I was human once," she told him quietly. "Then I died and the Doctor saved me, but now I don't have to sleep, eat or drink. I can't feel pain or bleed to death. There are days I want to be able when I feel the accidental burns but can't. My greatest wish became my biggest downfall."

"You only notice it was there when it stops." the Doctor agreed. "While it's constant, part of the nature of things, it's unremarkable. Just the way things are. Your brain doesn't even bother to tell you about it, unless there's a change that might be important."

"Is this important?"

"Like Melissa's Mechanicals," the Doctor went on. "If you're with them long enough, you don't even notice they're clicking at you."

"Your point being?" Repple demanded.

"My point being that it's like the ticking of a clock. You don't hear it, but it's there. Only I have the opposite problem." He tilted his head to one side. "Do you hear it?" Chloe blinked before echoing his movements, listening, waiting…

_Tick… tock… tick… tock..._

"Oh," she breathed.

"Hear what?" Repple listened for a moment, then shook his head. "There's nothing."

"Oh? You see, I can hear – when I bother to listen – I can hear the ticking of a clock. Which is odd. Because…" He paused, encouraging Repple to finish the thought.

"Because there is no clock in here."

"Exactly. And I've been in this situation before. Several times recently." He took a step forwards, standing toe to toe with Repple, looking him in the face. "And always I've been with you." Repple said nothing, face blank, too blank.

"You're not Shade Vassily," she said quietly, forcing herself to stand and walk over to him stiffy, her upper body unbending. "You just think you are."

The Doctor reached up and took off Repple's face. "Sorry," he said, stepping aside, allowing the droid to see his reflection in the glass wall. "Really, I am. It took me a while, but I realised I've never seen you smile, or frown, or laugh." she watched him fold the artificial face and put it in his pocket, making her nose scrunch up in disgust. "Bit like Melissa, really. Oh, your voice does it. There's inflection and emotion. Very clever. You eat and drink and sleep. But it's all rather mechanical, isn't it?'

Repple's mechanised face was at odds with the tortured rasp of his voice. "I still can't hear it."

"You won't be able too. Not consciously, at least." Chloe replied. "It's like a human and their heartbeat. It's there, but the sound would drive them insane, so their mind ignores it."

The face turned slowly towards the Doctor. Every part of it seemed to be alive. Only the crystal did not move, but it seemed to as it reflected the light. "What am I?" Repple demanded. He clutched at the Doctor's shoulders, dragging him closer. "Who am I?!" With a whirr of gears and an anguished cry, Repple let go of the Doctor and sank to his knees. His whole body was shaking, as if he were sobbing. But there were no tears, no eyes to cry them.

"Oh, get up," the Doctor said. "There's work to be done." She shot him a scathing look, kneeling beside the droid.

"There is nothing to be done. No purpose. No reason." He continued to shake.

"There's always a purpose or reason," she told him. "Sometimes you just have to go lookin' for it."

The Doctor watched the two's interaction. "We don't have time for a therapy session."

"What else can I do?"

"Or feeling sorry for yourself."

The clockwork face turned to look up at the Doctor. "My whole life is a lie. I am... no one."

"I may only be 25, Repple, but so far, I have never met anyone that is a no one."

"Why should I go on?"

"Because if Melissa's right, then somewhere close by there's a power-mad homicidal maniac with a superiority complex who won't let the small matter of the human race get in the way of his escape from this planet. And now that the only thing keeping him in check has probably been damaged beyond repair, he's likely to be making very unpleasant plans to escape, or to rule, or both." The Doctor answered

Repple considered, slowly getting to his feet. His face clicked through the options and possibilities. "We must tell Melissa Heart. She will help us."

The Doctor sighed. "Or she'll decide Chloe or I is the villain after all, and you're my jailer. No, we've got to get out of here."

Repple turned and examined himself closely in the glass. A mass of cogs and gears stared back at him, the diamond-like crystal that regulated the mechanisms gleamed incongruously in the midst of the machine. "And how do we do that?" He sounded weary and unenthusiastic.

The Doctor looked at him. "Use your head," he said. He did not wait for a reply. He stepped forward, put both his hands behind Repple's head and rammed it violently forward into the glass. The crystal cracked into the surface of the toughened window. The Doctor held Repple's head tight, dragging it down and across.

" _Doctor!_ " Chloe screamed in horror, falling back to the ground.

"What?" Repple gasped as soon as the Doctor let go. But even before he had finished speaking, the Doctor had hold of him again, was smacking his head back into the glass, dragging down and across the other way – through the deep scratch he had already made. When the Doctor let go again, Repple wrenched himself backwards. In front of him, in the glass, he could see the Doctor grinning, his glee marred only by the deeply scored X that ran through his reflection.

Chloe scrambled up, turning the droid to where he faced her, looking for any signs of breaking on his face. "Are you ok?" she demanded before turning to the Time Lord. "What the hell was that for?! You could've explained the plan before just doing it! Droid or not, you don't just go smacking people's heads against walls!"

"I had to create a weak point," the Doctor shot back, tapping on the X before winking. "Brace yourself," he warned. "Now it's my turn." He turned back towards the glass, felt carefully over the window. They could both see that the glass was bulging slightly inwards where it had been weakened. There was a sound like ice cracking. The Doctor nodded happily and took a couple of paces back from the glass. Then he ran at the window. He leaped, legs extended, both feet crashing into the wall at the same time, right in the centre of the X. Crashing into, and through.

Murky, cold Thames water swept in, punching aside the remains of the window and taking the Doctor with it. He cannoned into Repple, and they both fell into the rapidly rising water at Chloe's feet. "What now?" Repple shouted, his voice all but lost in the thunder of the hammering water.

"I can hold my breath for ages," the Doctor gasped. "And you two don't need to breathe."

One of the airlocks, the door back into the house, not built to withstand the stresses of deep space, buckled under the water's attack. It was sagging, bending, breaking under the pressure of the water. Suddenly it gave way, exploding inwards to allow the water to crash through and along the short corridor the other side towards the cellars of the house.

The corridor sloped upwards, Chloe remembered as the three were carried along by the immense wave. If they could survive the battering, if the Doctor could hold his breath for long enough, they would be washed into the house. At least, until she saw the said Time Lord slam into a wall, water going over his head. Mentally cursing, she immediately went over to him, catching his jacket and lifting him up, back above the water.

* * *

Once the water left, she gently placed the Doctor back down, waiting in horrified silence to see if he'd start glowing. He did not. In fact, about a minute after the water left, he sprung up onto his feet, startling Repple, who was sitting on the steps.

"I thought you were dead," the droid said.

"So did I. How long was I out?"

"A minute. No more. The water washed us in here, then receded."

The Doctor considered this. "I was sinking, drowning. No way I'd have made it."

"I carried and dragged you." she said with a stiff shrug.

"Thanks." The Doctor went over and sat down beside Repple. His clothes were clinging to him. He said quietly, "Being human isn't only about flesh and blood." He pulled Repple's face from his jacket pocket. It was made from a pliable yet very strong material. Some sort of porous plastic, the Doctor guessed. Like everything else, it was sopping wet. So he wrung it out like a dishcloth, and handed it, scrunched-up, to Repple.

The face unfolded in the automaton's hand, uncurling and stretching back into recognisable form. The face looking up at its owner. "Thank you, Doctor." He pressed it over the exposed mechanism, blinking his clockwork eyes, moving his clockwork mouth.

The Doctor got to his feet and made a cursory effort to brush the mud from his shirt with the back of his hand. "Shall we go?" He led the way up the steps. There was a wooden door at the top, closed but not locked. The Doctor eased it open and stepped out. He emerged into the hallway; the door was under the main staircase. The Doctor stepped forward to allow Repple to follow. He stood in the middle of the hall, puddles forming round his feet, tapping his chin with his finger as he worked through the possible next moves. "Do we go or do we stay?" he whispered to Repple.

"And if we go, where do we go?"

"To find Rose."

Repple touched the Doctor's arm – a very human gesture. "She will be fine," he said. "I'm sure." There was genuine concern in his voice, between the faint clicks of his mind.

"I know. I'm sure too." The Doctor smiled thinly. "Well, 99.99 per cent sure." Chloe snorted from where she was behind the two. Repple nodded. "It's just the hundredth of a hundredth," the Doctor said, "that's so difficult to accept." He led the way to the front door, unlocked it, drew back the heavy bolts. Opened the door.

To reveal the faceless metal mask of the huge figure standing outside. It stepped forwards as the Doctor and Repple both turned to run back into the house.

But the other Mechanical was walking stiffly along the hallway towards them, cutting off their escape. The only other route was up the stairs. But at the bottom of the main staircase, where perhaps she had been for some time, sat Melissa Heart.

She was wearing her angry face.


	7. The Clockwise Man (Part 6)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of the first trip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a poll up on [my fanfiction.net profile](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4459102/), the question being "Which regeneration should be the first one to kiss Chloe in Something Worth While?" You can select up to 2 choices, the answers being from 9 to 13, each with their own problems that come with the regeneration. For 9, it's during Winner Takes All. For 10, it's post-The Waters of Mars. For 11, it's during The Big Bang. For 12, it's post-Oxygen. For 13, it's post-Resolution. Go vote now!
> 
> If you haven't read The Clockwise Man, I highly suggest you do! I'm skipping a lot of dialogue and scenes that may help build the story, as such in the case with Beth, the maid Rose befriends, or how Rose knows Freddie so well.
> 
> I don't have a set update schedule, only that when there's over half a chapter complete, the one before it will be published. I'm unsure how many chapters The Monster Inside will take, only that after it, Chloe goes back home to live through a few important events.

Repple stood in front of Melissa. "You showed me your face," he said. "Let me show you mine." He put his hand to his cheek, pinched at the skin, and pulled his face away from the mechanisms beneath. Melissa's artificial expression did not change. But her eyes seemed to widen in the mask, and she gave an audible gasp.

"It surprised Repple too," the Doctor assured her. They were standing at the bottom of the stairs, flanked by the two Mechanicals. Melissa was standing on the staircase, so that she was looking down at them.

"I don't understand," she said. The angry face turned towards the Doctor and Chloe. "You have tricked me!"

He shook his head. "Not me. I knew nothing about all this.'

Chloe echoed his movements. "I would have told you immediately had I known," she said. "As it were, I didn't know until Repple found out." Melissa waved the Mechanicals away, and they stepped back from the three.

"Thank you," the Doctor said. "I did wonder if Vassily was actually dead," he went on. "Whether this –" he pointed at Repple's face – "was a charade to allow justice to be seen to be done."

"Could it be?" Melissa wondered. "Was Shade Vassily actually killed in the revolution? Or did he take his own life when he saw all was lost?"

"I did wonder. But if that was the case," the Doctor went on, "what's the point of the Al terminal at the Imperial Club? No," he decided, turning to Repple, "you're a decoy."

"A decoy," Repple echoed. He pushed his face back into position as he considered this.

"So was Aske. Both of you were sent here to draw out any assassins who might find Vassily's prison. Who might get too close. Neither of you ever suspected the truth. I'm sure Aske believed absolutely that you were Shade Vassily."

"And the real Vassily?" Melissa demanded.

"Still hiding. Monitored and protected by the AI." Chloe thought hard about the Doctor's words before groaning and moving to put her hands on her face. God she was so _stupid_. They were in London, 1924. What was the biggest thing aliens would know was protected?

_I swear to god if the real Shade Vassily is in Big Ben I'm_ so _done with Earth._

"But the AI has been destroyed." the other woman was saying.

The Doctor grinned suddenly. 'The cats probably have some level of autonomy, but yes, you're right – the Al's done for. Cats can't do much without it.'

"So, who is Shade Vassily?" Repple said quietly. "Do you know, Doctor?"

"Can't be certain, but it does seem likely…"

"Yes?" Melissa said, impatience and anticipation meeting in her tone.

"That Shade Vassily is Mr. Pooter."

"But there is no such person," Repple said.

The Doctor thrust his hands into his pockets, and grimaced, making her wonder if they were full of water. "Oh yes there is. I didn't want to believe it, but…" He sighed. "We're meant to think there isn't – the daft name, the fact hardly anyone ever sees him. But he's around. And we've got to find him."

"Why?"

"Because he is a mass murderer," Melissa told him. She took a step down, looking at eye level at Repple. "Whatever they might have programmed you to believe about him, he is without honour or compassion. A war criminal with tens of thousands of deaths behind him. Including," she went on quietly, "my brother and my parents."

"More pragmatically," the Doctor said to Repple, "how did you arrive here?"

"In a ship. A spaceship."

"And why didn't you leave?"

"Because Aske would have killed me if I tried. And because the ship was powered down after it was hidden. The cells completely depleted."

"Ion cells?" the Doctor wondered. Repple nodded. "Ion cells that would need to be re-energised."

"Hydrogen extraction," Melissa said quietly.

"Seems likely."

"But he would need a supply of hydrogen."

"The Thames," Chloe sighed. "Why the fuck is it always the Thames?

"H2O," Repple realised. "He could energise the Thames to recharge the ion cells."

"He's had a lot of time to plan how to do it too," the Doctor said. "Though the cat would have stopped him from carrying out his plan. Until now."

"The cat?" Melissa said.

The Doctor nodded. "The real jailer and bodyguard, controlled by the AI, watching all the time."

"But now the Al has been destroyed," Repple said, "there is nothing to stop him. He may already have the equipment set up, even though he could not use it until now."

Melissa was practically beside Chloe now. "And if he energises the Thames, the ozone fallout…"

"Will ignite the oxygen-rich air and create a firestorm," the Doctor finished. "It'll burn through London - every building, every tree, every man, woman and child - in less time than it takes to sneeze."

Chloe let out a series of curses. "Fucking Wyse! It has to be him! Don't you remember how quickly he ran once we said Miss Heart was coming? He knew! He knew you were going to destroy the AI."

"He plays chess along the embankment," Repple said, but she shook her head harshly, turning to the Doctor.

"I swear, everywhere you go, it always ends up being a tourist attraction," she accused. "First the Eye, then 10 Downing Street."

"Not the Exhibition or stadium. Big Ben?"

"I'm yeeting myself into the sun," she grumbled.

* * *

"You two are sure that this Wyse is Shade Vassily?" Melissa said. The four of them, shadowed by the two Mechanicals, were walking quickly from Melissa's house back towards the Imperial Club, and Big Ben.

"Yeah," the Doctor said as Chloe nodded. He drew a heavy breath. "And I sent Rose to look for him." He shook his head sadly.

"Then we must find him soon," Repple said. "If I – he – is capable of the things Miss Heart claims…"

"He is," she told them. "And more. You cannot even begin to imagine."

The Doctor nodded gravely. "Sadly, I can. Come on."

* * *

He led them more quickly into the fog that now swirled around them. Then, suddenly, through the fog, she could see someone running towards them with such a limp, she knew who it was. "Freddie!" She gasped, rushing to the boy. "Are you ok?" He gave a yelp of fear as Melissa and the two mechanicals came into view, grabbing at the Doctor's sleeve and trying to pull him away.

"It's all right, Freddie. We're all mates here."

"We have an understanding," Repple assured the boy.

"Where is Rose?" the Doctor asked quietly.

"He's got her, Doctor. Got her prisoner."

"Wyse?"

Freddie shrugged. "A man."

'They at Big Ben?'

"Up inside," Freddie said. He was close to tears. "I tried to get in but it's all locked up. Doctor, she's trapped. We'll never be able to save her."

* * *

There was a dead cat at the steps, and it took Chloe a second to realize it was the clockwork cat. It broke apart as it hit the ground, spilling tiny screws and wheels across the flagstones. 'Oops.' The Doctor crouched down and tried to gather the bits and pieces together. 'In a bit of a mess.'

"Can you mend it?" Freddie asked. "I didn't realise it was a toy, not until the man threw it away."

"A toy?" The Doctor prodded at the pile of components on the ground. "I s'pose it is, really."

"We are wasting time," Repple announced.

"I agree." Melissa said. "We should smash down the door."

"And have that policeman and scores of his chums round here in a flash?" Chloe snorted. "That'd help. We'd be jailed and London burns. He'll have made sure that door won't budge. Good plan."

"You have a better one?" she asked. Her face was almost lost in the darkness, only the silver highlights in the mask were visible as they caught and threw back the light.

"No, he does," she nodded to the Doctor.

"Must be another way into the stairwell."

"No other doors," Repple pointed out.

"Doesn't have to be a door." The Doctor was walking through the arch into the courtyard beyond, examining every inch of the stonework. Eventually he found what he was looking for. "Windows – look." He pointed up triumphantly above the arched doorway, above the roof of the adjoining palace. Pale, thin light was spilling from a narrow window above them. "That one must give on to the stairwell."

"And how do we get up there?"

"We climb."

The redhead let out a strangled noise. "I can't climb with my back the way it is, and I won't cling to your back, forcing you to carry me anymore. Miss Heart, if it's alright with you, I think I'll stay down here with your mechanicals, just in case he tries to sneak away."

The woman agreed, and so she watched as the Doctor carried Freddie on his shoulders, the cold realization filling her as she realized that, of the group up there, only the boy was big enough to fit through the window. _I should've gone_ _,_ she thought. She was, of course, bigger than the boy, but her small stature still would've allowed her to easily fit through the window.

Finally, the boy was through and the group was coming back down, one of the mechanicals trying to break down the door before knocking a policeman unconscious. The Doctor was sitting beside her, in front of the cat, trying to figure out how to repair it. "Trouble is I don't know which bit does what. So it's rather hit and miss." He pulled his sonic screwdriver out of his jacket and aimed it at a collection of cogs he held carefully in place with the other hand. "Bit of soldering…" Nothing happened, and the Doctor sighed.

Melissa was standing close by, watching through her mask. She stepped closer, holding out her hand. "Is this what you need?"

The Doctor took the power pack with a grateful grunt. "Ta." He popped open the end of the sonic screwdriver and pushed the cylindrical power pack inside before snapping it closed again. The device whirred, thin trails of smoke rose like mist from the inside of the cat. It flinched visibly, then was still again. The Doctor finished his work and inspected it carefully. "Might be enough."

"If I were the villain of the day," she started. "I wouldn't've kept the power pack." she got a disgruntled look from the Doctor, but what felt like an amused one from Heart.

"And if it's not enough?" Repple asked.

"I'd need more components for a proper job. You know an all-night watchmaker's?" He tugged the fur round the cat's metal-frame body, then he got to his feet, holding the cat out in front of him. "Come on, kitty-kitty." Nothing. He shook the cat. "You know what we need to do, don't you, puss?" Still nothing. He shook it again, and the cat gave a weak, desultory meow. Its head lifted a fraction, its eyes gleamed slightly. Then with a whirr and a clunk, the head fell forwards again.

"What components do you need, Doctor?" Melissa asked in the quiet that followed.

"You do know a watchmaker?"

"No. But we do have a ready supply available." Chloe stiffened at her tone as the Doctor looked at her blank face. Then he looked at Repple.

"You expect me to die for you?" There was the faintest tremor in his voice. "I don't know if I can, Doctor."

"No, we don't expect you to do anything Repple," she said. "You mean your mechanicals, don't you?" She got a nod as one of the mechanicals stepped out of the gloom and in front of the Doctor, slipping off the visor that covered its head.

"Even machines need something to die for."

* * *

Chloe held the cat out in front of her, watching as the beams of light shot out from its eyes and ate at the woodwork with a screech of power. After a few moments, the bolts fell away, allowing the door to swing open the tiniest bit. The Doctor kicked it fully open and rushed in, followed by Repple and Melissa. She gently set the cat down and moved to follow them, taking in the small moment the mechanical seemed to have as it glanced at it's fellow before turning and following her.

"What's the plan?" she said as she caught up to the Doctor.

"Stop the clock."

"How do we do that?" she asked as he opened one of the windows, and he gave her a grin.

"You hold him down," he said this as if it explained everything.

"But I'm not that strong." she protested.

"Nonsense, you're a construct! You're the strongest thing in this dimension." He motioned for her to stand behind the door, and as Wyse fell into the trap, leaning outside, believing the Doctor had done something, the Time Lord held him down up until she stepped forward and put a hand directly between Wyse's shoulder blades. The man struggled, but couldn't move, which surprised her because she wasn't putting that much pressure on the man's back.

"Doctor, go, I'll keep him-," She was cut off by the mechanical ramming into them, allowing Wyse to all but throw the Doctor out of the clocktower. She barely had a second to realize what had happened, to try and call out for the possibly regenerating Time Lord, before Wyse had his hand in her curly hair and was pulling on it. She followed, listening in horror at Rose's screams - _he's dying_ \- before lashing out, his arm catching his with a nasty snap and the alien letting go to cradle his broken arm.

Rushing down the stairs, she followed Rose's screams. "Rose, stand back!" she yelled before kicking. It didn't budge, and she could heart the blonde's voice talking to the boy, filling her with fear and anger. Again and again, she kicked the door, each kick getting stronger until it cracked open. Forcing her way through, she all but tore her jacket off at the sight of Freddie's bloodied let. "Rose step away," she said, voice dangerously calm. "He's haemophiliac."

Not that she'd know what that meant yet, of course. But Chloe knew. She knew, and she couldn't get it, so she had to do this. Rose's brows pinched, but she didn't move. "But-."

"I said, _move_ _,_ " she growled, and the blonde did so, watching as her friend tied the jacket just above the boy's leg. "I know it's tight, but it's to help stop the blood flow, ok? Rose, get the Doctor, now. Tell him Freddie has the Royal Disease and he's in bad shape." Repple came in just as the blonde ran off. "Repple, I need a _clean_ cloth. Some clean water too. Both for drinking and to put the cloth in."

* * *

"I was a hero, wasn't I?" Freddie asked weakly.

Repple nodded. "Yes."

"The best," she agreed.

"I never knew I was a king. I thought I was just an ordinary person."

"Yes.' Repple looked away. Freddie thought he was going to say something more, but he was silent.

"That's all I wanted, really. But it's good to be a hero,' Freddie said when Repple said nothing more.

Repple got to his feet. "I never knew it," he said, "but I just wanted to be an ordinary person too. Now it seems we all get to be heroes." He looked down at Freddie and Chloe, his expression as blank and unreadable as a mask. "I have to go now. You'll be all right. I promise. Miss Nightingale will take care of you."

* * *

The smell of something burning is what made Chloe stir. From where she was partially bound, she saw Wyse pointing a gun at the Doctor before turning it on Rose and shooting, but missing thanks to Freddie.

Freddie, who was now pushing him towards the edge of the tower.

Freddie, who was so pale from blood loss, Chloe knew that he wouldn't survive the night.

Freddie, the last Tsar of Russia, whose mother would lose everything…

Without thinking, she rushed forward as Wyse teetered on the edge, catching the boy as the alien pushed him away. Rose quickly knelt beside him, the sonic above the boy's leg. "Doctor what do I do?" She pleaded.

"You come with me," she heard Wyse say, and she was aware of the gun being pointed at her head. "A far more robust and useful hostage, don't you think, Doctor?" he gave a short laugh as she slowly passed the boy to Rose and stood. "I take your queen. Checkmate."

_If I go missing, their timelines get rewritten_ , she thought, mind already made up. She saw the Doctor looking down at the ground, and as she followed his gaze, she mentally groaned, knowing what he was going to do. A second later, she dropped to the ground, as if the strings holding her had been cut. Half a second later, the black cat went flying and landed on Wyse's neck, clawing and tearing at anything it could catch.

Turning, she saw Wyse tumble over the edge just as she heard a very chilling voice. " _Got you!_ "

* * *

Chloe watched from the TARDIS doorway as Rose and the Doctor said their farewells to Repple, her mind busy on Freddie. He had survived, if only just barely. His mother's sobs when they first brought him back would haunt her, no doubt, and she shuddered to think what it would do to Rose's mental state.

"If you're around in 80 years, come visit me," Rose said with a grin, making Chloe smile and speak up.

"And if you're around in 75, note that I'm demanding you visit me. I've been told I'm an excellent person to talk to." Repple looked slightly shocked, but nodded, and as Rose and the Doctor stepped through the doorway, she gave the clockwork man one last grin and wink before closing the door behind her.

* * *

"Why is it only sometimes I feel pain?" She asked, laying on her stomach with Rose and the Doctor settled beside her in some comfy looking chairs.

The Doctor looked up. "I dunno. Constructs, they weren't meant for much, just manual labor and such, only basic intelligence. They tried putting AI in some during the war, but they ended up destroying themselves pretty early on."

Chloe swallowed a bit thickly. "Will… will that happen to me?" she asked, voice quivering.

"No. The human mind, survival is its most basic feature. It overrides itself, sometimes, too."

"Like that mother who lifted her car to get her kid out from under it." Rose suggested, getting a nod.

"But… I shouldn't have blood, or bones. Yet when that sword caught me, it felt like I was dying all over again, just for a split second." she protested. "When my back got hurt, I didn't feel anything more than the heat and pressure."

"Well, what was the difference between the two?" The Doctor asked, making the redhead frown.

"I…" _oh…_ "We were holding hands, to make sure no one got left behind."

"Skin to skin contact." the Time Lord nodded. "Chloe, you are one of a kind. Constructs aren't meant to house something as complex as a human mind, and the fact that you are thriving in one? Things won't apply to you in the same way they might a human. Touch telepathy, minor time sensitivity, a couple of other things that might develop as you get used to your body. You said it yourself: someday, you'll get a body of your own. Perhaps the construct changes, evolves enough to properly host you and be considered living."

Rose looked as hesitant as she felt, but the blonde was by far braver than her. "But?" Rose said.

"But that may take thousands of years."


	8. The Monsters Inside (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Trio are finally off Earth...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've come here from ff.n, you'll notice that I don't update the AO3 version of the story until the parts (Clockwise Man, Monsters Inside, Winner Takes All, etc.) are complete. The reason for this is because on ff.n, I won't be publishing the more mature bits in the main fic. Here, however, I will be.
> 
> I have a poll up on [my fanfiction.net profile](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4459102/), the question being "Which regeneration should be the first one to kiss Chloe in Something Worth While?" You can select up to 2 choices, the answers being from 9 to 13, each with their own problems that come with the regeneration. For 9, it's during Winner Takes All. For 10, it's post-The Waters of Mars. For 11, it's during The Big Bang. For 12, it's post-Oxygen. For 13, it's post-Resolution. Currently, 10 and 11 are in the lead with two votes, followed by 9, 12 and 13 with one vote each. Go vote now!
> 
> If you haven't read The Monster Inside, I highly suggest you do! I'm skipping a lot of dialogue and scenes that may help build the story, like what's happening with Rose

Chloe was forced to spend the night in the medbay, not that she was complaining because the second she thought about maybe sleeping, the TARDIS started humming a familiar song and let her sleep for the whole night.

When she woke up, she was given a pair of black leggings, some dark blue sneakers, briefs, a sports bra, and a white tank top to change into, but nothing to keep her hair pulled back. With a quick thanks to the ship, she wandered into the console room, where Rose and the Doctor were already waiting.

"Back's all healed," she announced, getting a happy look from Rose. "So where to now?"

"Dunno," the Doctor replied. "Sometime in the future that isn't Earth."

"Good," Chloe said firmly. "Because if Earth isn't in danger during this, I won't be as likely to kick a bin." Rose let out a laugh, knowing the redhead would actually do it.

"C'mon, you get to open the doors, this time." the blonde told her, happily dragging the redhead to the doors.

Opening them, Chloe let out a gasp at the sight. The sky was a shimmering green. Three suns shone through the haze, their heat prickling her skin. The muddy ground was the colour of olives and sloped up sharply, while beyond it a range of pale mountains, perfect pyramids, stood like pitched tents on the far horizon.

It wasn't Earth.

But why was it so familiar?

Shaking off the feeling, she grinned at the Doctor. "It's wonderful," she said, voice quiet. "Thank you."

"Look," he said softly, pointing to something just the other side of the TARDIS. A single flower.

Without thinking, she stepped outside of the TARDIS and walked over to it It was a scraggly specimen, but smelled sweet, and its red petals were the only splats of colour in the muddy desert.

"There you go," the Doctor murmured. "Your first contact with alien life on its own turf."

"Like you and the TARDIS don't count." Chloe teased, making Rose laugh.

"Literally," Rose said, picking up a fallen petal.

"This could be the rarest flower in the universe, the last of its kind." The Doctor's eyes fixed on them suddenly, clear and unnervingly blue. "Or it could be one of billions. Common as daisies. Just the first to poke its head through the soil to greet the three-sunned springtime."

Rose smiled. "Doesn't matter, does it? It's here, and so are we!" He grinned back, making Chloe feel as if she was missing an inside joke. "But where are we?"

He shrugged. "Dunno. Edge of the galaxy somewhere."

Chloe got up in concern. "TARDIS not telling?"

"Might be on the blink. We landed quicker than normal, like something in the area drew us down…" The Doctor looked bothered fora moment. Then he started glancing all about again. "What do you think?'

"You're the 900-year-old alien, you tell me!" Rose argued.

"I mean, what do you think of all this? Strange air in your lungs. New suns in the sky."

"That's a point – three suns up there, we'll burn really quickly." Rose was wearing jeans, a red T-shirt and a white jacket, but her face was still exposed. "Maybe we should get some cream."

The Doctor considered. "Let's have a poke about before we crack open the Ambre Solaire." He set off up the muddy rise. "See if it's worth sticking around."

"Easy for you to say," Chloe grumbled, but went after him. "You're not ginger."

"So?" He countered. "I've always wanted to be ginger."

"You realize being ginger comes with burning easily?" she countered, raising an eyebrow. As she took a step, she grimaced. "How come the ground's so soggy?" she complained.

"This isn't Earth. Earth rules don't apply."

"That's true," Rose agreed. "I feel lighter." And suddenly, she lept into the air with a twirl.

"Less gravity?" she asked, getting a nod.

"So I weigh about half a stone less, and I'll tan three times as fast.' She smiled as she fell into step beside him, bouncing along. 'We have to stay here forever, you know that, right?"

"Tell you what. If we like the view from this hilltop, I'll dig out the deck chairs, deal?" As Rose agreed, Chloe let out a playful huff and turned her nose away when the Doctor offered his hand. She couldn't stop her giggle when he wiggled his fingers, however, and gave into temptation.

They were still hand in hand when they reached the lip of the rise. Chloe found they were far higher than she had realised. And whatever view she had been expecting, it couldn't have been more gobsmacking than this.

"No more flowers, then," Rose said. Chloe felt like she was overlooking the set of some incredible Hollywood epic. "I thought those things in the distance were mountains shaped like pyramids –"

"But they're the real thing," said the Doctor.

"And are those real Egyptians?"

In the valley far below, tiny figures were building a pyramid right now. The ground area had to be twice the size of Trafalgar Square, though Nelson's column would barely peep over the second of the five steep steps cut cleanly into the pyramid's sides. These baked-mud plateaux were a seething, sweating mass of activity as workers toiled to disguise the steps and create a true pyramid. Overseers watched, massive arms folded across their well-oiled chests, as scores of sweating men in loincloths heaved huge bricks up ramps of rubble to add to the massive construction. A hundred more were struggling with ropes and pulleys to lower the finishing blocks into position.

"Built the same as your pyramids on Earth," the Doctor informed her. "Buttress walls built up around a central core. Fourth dynasty, maybe."

"And not what you'd expect to find the other side of the galaxy." Rose watched as a man stumbled and fell while struggling to push a sledge full of rubble down one of the many ramps. An overseer strode forwards at once with a vicious-looking whip, started laying into him. The man screamed as the leather lashed him, and Chloe felt sick as she realized just what this was.

" _Justica,_ " she breathed, making the Doctor look at her in concern. Rose, however, didn't hear her.

"There's no need for that," Rose said fiercely. "What's going on? I mean, space-travelling ancient-Egyptian chain gangs?"

"Doubt it."

"They look human."

The Doctor stared on as a further whip crack scored through the air. "Yeah. They act human, too."

The man, his back burned now with four thick red stripes, was dragged to his feet by two more workers and shoved back towards the sledge. Weakly, he struggled with it once more.

"This is horrible," said Rose. "Can't we do something?"

"No." Chloe immediately answered. "We can't. We need to leave, now."

"Too late," the Doctor said, looking back where they had come from. Turning, Chloe's breath caught as she saw four overseers behind them, bare-chested, massive and mean looking. In one hand, a heavy whip. In the other, a futuristic space gun. All three of them immediately raised their hands. "Ok, so what's the charge? Trespassing on sacred land? Nicking secrets so we can build bigger pyramids down the road?"

"Trust me, whatever you take us for, you're wrong." Rose added, though Chloe remained silent.

"Put down the guns, and we'll explain why," said the Doctor.

The four men ignored them, took a threatening step closer. Then one of the whips cracked out. Rose gasped as the leather bit into her ankle.

"Too far, mate," the Doctor snapped. He kicked the whip handle from the overseer's hand, freeing Rose. Then he tried to wrestle the man's gun away.

Rose seemed to take that as her cue. As the overseers brought their guns to bear on the Doctor, she shoulder-charged one and knocked him flying. Another guard lunged for her but she dodged aside with a speed that seemed to surprise even her. She wrestled the gun from his grip but he swiped it aside, shoved her backwards towards the lip of the precipice. Chloe saw the guy trying to grab her and charged forward, punching the guy in the face so hard, he went flying back.

"You ok?" The Doctor shouted. One of his opponents was sprawled across the mud.

"Never better." the blonde gasped as Chloe wrestled one of the overseers off of him, knocking him out as well.

"Leg it!" he yelled. "Back to the TARDIS!" She turned just in time to see the last overseer in front of Rose, forcing her to back off towards the cliff, and the Doctor reacted before she could, grabbing the overseer's whip and snapping it around the blonde's arm. She saw the blonde fall and rushed forward, grasping the cord and doing her best not to slip in the mud as she tried to pull her up.

"Hold on!" She gasped as the two slipped, almost falling over the precipice as well.

"You too!" she called back, then, half a second later, "Look out!" After the Doctor nodded once, Chloe dropped the rope and saw that the overseer was pointing a gun at them. She moved forward, relieved when his gaze went from the Doctor to her.

"Put that away before you poke your eye out," she growled, jumping forward and throwing his arm to the side. There was a shot fired before a second pair of arms were wrapped around her. She would've easily broken the hold had Rose not had a gun jammed into her neck.

"Get off me!" Rose yelled, struggling. "If you'd just try talking instead of-."

Rose broke off as, with a weird whirring of alien engines, two small vessels rose up over the edge of the rise. They were shaped a bit like helicopters, but in place of rotor blades there blazed a vortex of blue light. One was landing close to the TARDIS. The other craft landed beside Rose and the shadow it cast was black and cold. Watching in horror, Chloe could do nothing as the blonde was frogmarched into the aircraft.

"Don't struggle, don't let them hurt you!" The Doctor shouted, glancing at her in horror and fear as the overseers started to move her, but was stopped halfway. "We'll find you. I promise, we'll find you!"

After a bit of what seemed to be silent talking, Chloe and the Doctor were both forced into the other vessel. Perhaps it was a mercy that, once inside and the doors were shut, the two had been allowed close to one another, but for two agonizing hours, Chloe couldn't help but silently cry as they were taken to Justica.

"You warned us," he mumbled, just barely in her hearing range. "What is this place?"

"Justica," she murmured back. "Prison Planets. Humans are split into different areas to do different things and alien beings as slave labor. I can't remember what exactly they do to human females. Spans across a solar system. Something is happening in the prisoner quarters, but I can't remember what exactly. You've faced them before," she added. "Recently, I think?"

"We haven't dealt with much," he admitted. "Autons, Gleth, Slitheen-,"

"That one!" she exclaimed louder than she wanted to. Once her cringe was over, she leaned into his one arm embrace. "There's some Slitheen here, doing something to the alien prisoners. Justica doesn't care, cause to them, they're human property now, not living beings."

"I won't let anything happen to you," he promised, and she gave him a weak grin just as the doors snapped back open. The two stood, Chloe hesitant on if she wanted to go in. While she hesitated, the Doctor went through, but as soon as there was enough distance between them, the doors slammed shut.

"Doctor!" She yelled, running forward and pounding on the doors.

" _Chloe!_ " He was there, just a few inches away. " _You let her out. You let her out right now!_ " Suddenly, there was a whirling and she was jolted to the side, causing her to fall over. As the Doctor's yells grew distant, her heart grew heavier.

* * *

The scans weren't sure if she was human or not.

She didn't know if she could consider it a blessing in disguise, only that she was allowed one demand for being "half-human". She hadn't even thought hard about it, as the answer came naturally.

"I am to stay with the Doctor at all times, no matter what."

They tried to gas her after that, but when it cleared and she was still conscious, the guards took her to get the implant, which was placed at the back of her neck rather than in her head. She was then taken to the Doctor's holding cell, where a woman was sitting, watching him. She was short and plain with a thatch of mousy hair. While her matronly frame was dressed in shapeless grey coveralls, she'd perched a pair of bright pink glasses on her pointed nose, framing her beady blue eyes, as if to say, _Look! I'm very interesting really!_

"Who are you?" she asked once Chloe was inside and uncuffed.

"Chloe," she replied. "I'm to stay with him no matter what. You?"

"Senator Lazlee Flowers." she replied in a clipped tone. "Aren't you human?"

" _Half_ -human," she corrected. "I'm the Doctor's therapist. I have to stay with him to ensure he stays stable." She let out a displeased hum at this, but before she could say more, the Doctor woke up.

"Where's Rose and Chloe?" His voice came out as a croak, and he licked his claggy lips. "The girls I was travelling with?"

"Please don't struggle, Doctor. You're in a restraint field." Flowers replied. "And Miss Chloe is right here." Moving to his line of sight, he relaxed slightly as she sat beside him. "I've read the full account of your discovery, capture and dispatch. You've been classified as _Miscellaneous Alien Doctor_ and" she turned to Chloe, " _Miscellaneous Mated Alien_ , though the last will be changed to half-human. Both of you register as an irregular, disruptive non-human entity."

"Seems fair comment," the Doctor remarked. "But we're wasting time –"

"Doctor, I can promise you there's no shortage of time here." She looked at him and seemed almost sorry. "I'm Senator Lazlee Flowers. Welcome to the SCAT-house."

He blinked. "What?"

"That's SCAT for Species-led Creative and Advanced Technologies. An underground complex on the planet Justice Prime." Flowers gave a deep, bosom-heaving sigh. "I must say, your resemblance to humans is quite striking. Some of the, uh, entities we have here –"

"I asked you about our friend."

"Oh, the girl. She's fully human. Different department, I'm afraid."

"If you've hurt her –"

"We're not sadists, and we're not savages. We want to rehabilitate her, not to harm her." Chloe snorted at that, trying to imagine Rose _not_ fighting against Justica's system. Flowers's voice had hardened a touch. "I don't know how or why you infiltrated Justicia, but you must have known you'd be punished."

"Didn't see any Keep Out signs." the Doctor said.

"Doctor, the auto-beacons warn off all vessels straying within two light-years of the Justicia system, and the deflection barrier operates at a distance of ten billion miles! Just how big do you need the Keep Out signs to be?" reaching over and making skin to skin contact, Chloe couldn't help but make a joke.

_More than she can imagine and even then you'd ignore them._

She ignored the pouting look he gave her, for they both knew it was true. "Light years? Deflection barrier?" The Doctor frowned. "Then... this entire solar system is one big prison?"

"I believe people usually try to break out of it," said Flowers wryly. "But "prison" hardly does Justicia... er, justice." She tittered briefly at her little joke. "I prefer to think of it more as a testing centre."

"Testing what?" Chloe asked. "What's happening to Rose?"

Flowers sighed. "Doctor, Chloe, putting aside for a moment the question of how you came to be on Justice Alpha, are you honestly trying to tell me that you and the girl crossed the void between star systems in a small blue projectile with no visible means of propulsion –"

"Yes."

"– breached three lines of defences without even noticing –"

"Yes."

"– and that you really don't have the faintest idea of where you are or what you're dealing with?"

He looked her in the eye. "What are we dealing with?"

Flowers cleared her throat. "Any unauthorised entity trespassing on Justicia automatically earns a twenty-five-year prison sentence." Chloe didn't even blink. It would be hard for her, but she could do 25 years with no difficulty. She wasn't too sure about the Doctor, but she knew Rose wouldn't.

"What about a trial?"

"You were scanned and assessed."

"Not good enough! Don't you even care what I was doing-"

Flowers raised her voice above his: 'Not my department, Doctor. Inquiry and Appeals will process that information in due course.'

'They'll process it now!' thundered the Doctor, straining against his invisible shackles. 'I must have some rights?'

"Er, afraid not." She came over to him and smiled down wistfully. "Our treatment of you is perfectly legal, under the terms of the Reciprocal Alien Imprisonment Treaty."

"Never heard of it."

She shrugged. "If your home planet isn't registered then you'll be extradited – once your ambassador has registered a protest, and subject to legal damages being paid."

The Doctor stared at Flowers before glancing at her, and Chloe took a deep breath before speaking up. "You might've heard of his homeworld," she said, sending the Doctor a look that pleaded for him to let her talk. "It was called Gallifrey."

"A Time Lord?" Flowers asked, voice high. "They're extinct, all killed in some war."

"I'm the last of my kind." The Doctor answered, voice thick. "Scan me again, this time programmed to recognize a Gallifreyan." The woman hesitated before glancing at the redhead, who nodded. The woman left the cell for a second, and she felt a scan go through her. A second later, Flowers came back in, looking shocked… and pleased.

"A full-blooded Time Lord," she breathed. "And then a half-Gallifreyan as well." the field holding the Doctor was turned off and he sat up, glaring at the human.

"I don't get it, Flowers. You humans are out here in deep space, thousands of parsecs from home. You're the aliens, mixing it up with other races on their home turf. Oh, but hang on – anyone not like you gets dumped in a ghetto out here?"

Flowers shrugged. "EarthGov voted to group together non-human offenders. Alien prisoners have different needs to humans, so it made sense to put them in a customised jailhouse."

"And that's why Justicia was built?"

"Just the SCAT-house at first."

"Wait. Species-led, Creative and Advanced Technologies. . . This isn't just a prison, is it? It's a workhouse! A scientific labour camp!"

"It's a business," she corrected him. "You may be prisoners, but there's still much you can offer humanity."

"Like flashier guns for its armies? Bigger bombs? Faster war-ships?"

Flowers got defensive. "Not all our work is for the military. Besides, if you get good results, you get time off your sentence – as well as a .00137 royalty on intergalactic sales. That's a gross figure –"

"You're telling me." Chloe muttered.

"– but still extremely generous."

"Bit risky, isn't it? Letting me loose? I'm not exactly full of sunshine and love right now."

"I don't think you'll attack me, Doctor,' Flowers said confidently. 'I'm happy to answer your questions, help you acclimatise. Besides, I know you're an intelligent individual."

"Clever people can still do terrible things." He rubbed his arms and legs. "Like converting an entire solar system into a prison camp. Got bored with the aliens, did you? Thought you'd let in some humans too?"

"The Empire was expanding so fast, colonising planet after planet. The star cops were spread too thinly to police them all effectively. Crime rates began to soar. Prisons became over-crowded, unworkable." Flowers poured them a glass of water. "So Justicia approached EarthGov and offered to handle the overspill. Almost had their hands bitten off."

Chloe shook her head at the water, instead giving it to the Doctor. "What was in it for Justica?" he asked, making her snort.

"You ask that as if humanity has changed, Doctor," she said. "Money, as always."

"The extra money helped Justicia develop and market inventions from the SCAT-house more efficiently. We've always been the heart of the business.' She poured him another glass. "Then, as more and more planets decided to offload their prisoners here, and as more and more of this solar system was given over to housing them... Justicia's Executive realised what an opportunity they had. A chance to expand their research from the purely scientific."

"A testing centre, you said." Flowers nodded, her face grave. "But besides my patience…" He drained the water in a single gulp. "Testing what?"

* * *

"Hello, Dram Fel Fotch," Flowers said, seemingly ignoring how the Doctor was shielding her from the Slitheen in front of them. "Sorry for the lack of notice, but these are your new cellmates."

"Cellmates?" The Doctor's voice was tight as he turned to Flowers. "I'm not normally fussy where I doss, but…"

"Cells are made to order here," the woman warned. "When we have a full house, we have to tunnel out further into the rock."

"This is an imposition," said the creature wearily.

"You're telling me." The Doctor stared up at it. "You're from the planet Raxacoricofallapatorius, right?"

Dram Fel Fotch shook his head. "My ancestors were born there. But I have never seen my homeworld."

"Nor have I." The Doctor shrugged. "Just heard of it. I've met some of your people before. Long time ago, as the crow flies. Family by the name of Slitheen."

"Slitheen?" The creature's head bobbed forwards and it sniffed the Doctor as if he was a suspect puddle in a room just vacated by a dog. " _Slitheen?_ "

"We are Slitheen," came a deeper, rumbling voice behind Chloe. Another of the creatures was looming over her, the twisted fingers of its great claws clacking together over Chloe's shoulders. "I am Ecktosca Fel-Fotch Heppen-Bar Slitheen. Dram Fel-Fotch is my brother."

"Is that right?" The Doctor took and shook one of the claws, moving the redhead away from him. "Well, good to meet you."

"Looks like you guys practically know each other already," Flowers declared.

"Oh, I don't know. Are you lot ruthless, lying killers like your ancestors?"

"Doctor!" Chloe hissed. "I apologize about him. We actually met a Blon Fel-Fotch Passameer-Day Slitheen a while back. Did you know her?" She made sure her question was innocent enough but still had enough implications behind it.

"Our ancestor," Ecktosca said, making her let out an 'mm' noise.

"You two are perfectly safe, Doctor, Chloe," Flowers said, a bit awkwardly. "The globs restrain any and all antisocial behaviour, remember? Now, I'll arrange for a bed to be placed in here. Shouldn't be for long. Make them feel at home, boys."

As she walked awake, Chloe was aware that the only thing between her and the Slitheen was the Doctor, who grinned brightly. "So," he said. "Who wants top bunk?"

* * *

The mattress was small, but just barely big enough for both of them to lay on if they were on their sides. As it were, they laid face to face, Chloe's back against the wall. The Slitheens had nests rather than beds, and the room smelt like rotting trash. She had no idea how the Doctor wasn't sick from the smell, though she had a feeling the respiratory bypass had came into play. A few moments after the voice in her head announced lights out, the room was plunged int blackness and she let out a quiet whimper, putting her head on his shoulder as the sound of the Slitheen moving and settling into their nests began.

"He smells like a cool little customer, this one, doesn't he, Dram?" said Ecktosca.

"Exotic," Dram agreed.

"He looks as ugly as a human but his scent is rare and subtle. Brash and distracted and ever so slightly sad…"

"A tough little morsel, too."

"His companion though…"

"Not a scent."

"Would make the most challenging hunt yet."

"You would make a glorious hunt, Doctor," said Ecktosca. "I shall dream of hunting you down and tearing you into chunks. No offense."

"None taken. So long as you don't sleepwalk." When he got no reply, she risked glancing up, barely seeing his face. It was… pensive, thoughtful. "So," he said loudly, "are you lot still running the family business? Impersonating aliens, nuking their planets and selling off the radioactive chunks as cheap fuel for every bargain-bucket spaceship in the galaxy?"

The heavy breathing stopped for a few seconds.

"How do you know that?" demanded Ecktosca. "Are you a historian?" She let out a soft giggle, making him glance at her.

 _They think you're an archeologist,_ she mouthed, making him scowl.

"Sort of, yeah." he said instead, poking her in the side, making her jolt but smile.

"The Slitheen haven't been in that line of work for hundreds of years. The old firm went bankrupt."

"Our ancestors turned to chizzle-waxing for a while to make ends meet," Dram added. "But it's such a messy business..."

"Is that how you wound up in Justicia?" asked the Doctor. "Chizzle-waxing?"

"What d'you take us for?" Dram complained.

"Dram Fel Fotch and I have been researching our roots," said Ecktosca. "Did you know that 500 or so years ago, there were Slitheen galloping about in skins many sizes too small for them?"

"Yeah, I did," said the Doctor. "And if I didn't, the photos on your wall are a bit of a giveaway. They wore gadgets round their necks, compression fields, so they could adopt the shape of their prey. But it made them a bit gassy. You know, reducing the bulk of something your size into something a bit bigger than me, well – the spare energy's got to go somewhere, hasn't it?" He blew a raspberry, making her bite her lip to try and stop her laughs again. "Better out than in."

"You're remarkably well informed."

"News travels," said the Doctor. "The Slitheen almost blew up Earth, you know. In the end they only blew up themselves." He sighed. "A waste."

"The family's fortunes went downhill around then," Dram noted.

"But as the historians of our clan, we celebrate our failures as well as our achievements," Ecktosca added. "We've been finding out all we can about the industrious Jocrassa Fel Fotch Pasameer-Day Slitheen and his compatriots."

The Doctor shifted from where he was laying beside her. "Sometimes it's best to leave the past well alone."

"Not for us. You see, we are antique dealers," Ecktosca explained. "We have been searching for our ancestors' personal effects. Their compression fields alone would fetch an enormous price among collectors."

"They were destroyed along with the wearers." The Doctor paused. "Weren't they?" Chloe shook her head, a motion she was certain the two Slitheen could see.

"We heard a whisper that they were recovered from the wreckage of that Earthly explosion 500 years ago," Dram confided. "They were stored in a government stockpile, filed away, waiting for the day that humans could actually comprehend the technology involved and make something of it. The trail led here –"

'I do love a trail,' sighed Ecktosca.

"– and we tried to deal with the Executive to get back these valuable heirlooms. But we were betrayed. Consul Issabel directed us to a classified building on Justice Delta. The humans believed that we'd broken in and had us arrested."

The Doctor pulled a face as the redhead let out a soft noise. "They framed you," she said. Even though she knew they were nowhere near as innocent as they seemed, she still felt bad.

"Wanted our brains," grumbled Dram. "We were both given thirty years, here on Prime."

"Well, your people are brilliant inventors," said the Doctor. "Good hustlers too. You must have family working on getting you out of here?"

"Oh yes," said Dram.

"You're laughing then."

As if on command, the pair of Slitheen started giggling.

Ecktosca cleared his throat, recovering. "We'll get there in the end, undoubtedly. But it's taking so long. Legal loopholes, evidence going missing... And in the meantime, we're stuck working on Flowers's dreary solar power project."

"We have to get out soon," Dram blurted. "There's urgent business we need to get sorted."

"Oh yes?" said the Doctor.

There was a squelch as an alien elbow dug into alien ribs. "Family business."

"But not _the_ family business, right?"

"It does _not_ concern aliens." Ecktosca Fel Fotch turned over in his nest with a heavy slolloping noise. "Doctor, you smell positively provocative. I wish we had the room to run about in. I miss the hunt so badly…"

"So have you never thought of escape?"

"Next to impossible," Ecktosca informed him. "Even with help from the outside."

"I'm often stood next to impossible."

"Do _you_ have help from the outside?" asked Dram, his voice striking a mournful note in the darkness.

"The only person who can help us now is stuck like us. Well. . . " He took in the darkness all around them and sighed. "Hopefully not _exactly_ like me."


	9. The Monsters Inside (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe and the Doctor investigate some stuff...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a poll up on [my fanfiction.net profile](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4459102/), the question being "Which regeneration should be the first one to kiss Chloe in Something Worth While?" You can select up to 2 choices, the answers being from 9 to 13, each with their own problems that come with the regeneration. For 9, it's during Winner Takes All. For 10, it's post-The Waters of Mars. For 11, it's during The Big Bang. For 12, it's post-Oxygen. For 13, it's post-Resolution. Currently, 10 and 11 are in the lead with two votes, followed by 9, 12 and 13 with one vote each. Go vote now!
> 
> If you haven't read The Monster Inside, I highly suggest you do! I'm skipping a lot of dialogue and scenes that may help build the story, like what's happening with Rose

They waited until they were sure the two had fallen asleep before speaking.

"How much do you know?" he whispered, face inches away from hers. God she was being such a mess right now.

Closing her eyes, she let out a hum, brows furrowing as she tried to remember what exactly had happened in that fic she had read- "I think there's a Slitheen running the human side of Justica," she murmured, eyes still closed. "There's… a hunting ground, where prisoners, humans, and aliens, are being sent to. Warders don't know what's happening to them."

"And these two?" he asked. "Do these two escape?"

"Yes? But no? They hunt. It's a forest, and… I can't remember." she didn't want to open her eyes and see how much she disappointed him. "I'm sorry. Rose mentions it in _Boom Town_ but I always thought it had just been something that the author wrote about because of the mention, not the other ways around."

His fingers were on her cheeks, causing her eyes to fly open, and he was smiling at her. "You've remembered enough," he encouraged. "I still got my jacket, don't I?" He tugged on the said leather coat that was covering them. She blinked before nodding, another smile threatening to take her over. "Reckon it's dark enough for you to sleep?"

"Even if it is I don't want to," she told him, very serious. "I'm a bit more concerned and happy by the fact I apparently have no scent."

"Course you don't," he said. "You don't have any hormones to get a scent."

"Gee," she said dryly. "Thanks. I'll remember that, truly." But even as a semi-comfortable silence washed over them, she couldn't relax, and she could tell the Doctor couldn't either. He looked a little tired, making her sigh and scootch as far back as she could. "C'mon, you're practically falling off."

"Won't you be uncomfortable?" he asked, making her snort.

"Doctor, no doubt we'll get into a lot more comfortable spots after this. Sharing a bed probably won't make the top twenty." He looked at her, a little bit in disbelief, and she realized what she had just said and flushed in embarrassment. "Uh, that is… if you still want me to, y'know..."

"Of course I do," he said. "I just thought maybe you wouldn't."

"Doctor, you should be concerned if I _didn't_ _,_ " she told him, dead serious, but his expression still remained the same. "What?"

"Sharing a bed wouldn't make top twenty?" he echoed. Was he fishing for information? "Even if the said bed was in a cell with two killer Slitheen?" Oh…

"I mean… you're here," she shrugged, starting to leave it off there and then realizing she shouldn't. "I trust you to help me defend ourselves, especially if they can fight whatever those glob things are."

"Now who's fishing?" He joked, but moved closer to her, still stiff as a board. She sighed, making sure to stare at him until he finally relented, one arm going over her waist while the other was tucked under his head. "Is this ok?"

"It's fine," she answered before grinning. "Just know you've described me as like an octopus when it comes to falling asleep beside someone."

* * *

The wake-up call sounded like an electric chicken who had a few wires loose, and guessing by the Doctor's face as the two jerked awake and shared a look, he thought the same. Then he suddenly grinned, and she blinked in confusion. "What?"

"You slept."

"I slept," she whispered. "Without the TARDIS and sleep box." The lights came on and they stood, up the Doctor slipping on his jacket.

"Wakey, wakey," he called as the Slitheen stirred. "What happens now? Breakfast?"

The Slitheen squirmed in their nests. Ecktosca Fel Fotch rolled on to his back, his pert little spike of a tail pointing at the Doctor and Chloe like a rude gesture. "Slitheen do not break their fast for many weeks at a time."

"Religious reasons?" wondered the Doctor. "Or just lazy?"

"Our digestive systems are superior to yours. We process food efficiently and produce little in the way of waste." She snorted, but said nothing.

"As your cellmate, I'm glad to hear it." Suddenly, like a host of lead balloons, grey globs plummeted from the shadows high above and affixed themselves to the Doctor's body, a couple going onto Chloe as if an afterthought. "What did I do? I wasn't being aggressive! And she hasn't even said anything!"

Rather than get an answer, the cell door opened and the globs forced them to move out of the room. An enormous three-legged person ambled past them in the other direction, appraising her with a lazy orange eye. A parade of odd-looking creatures who seemed to be half-dormouse, half-armadillo overtook him, herded by a single glob cruising above them like a lumpy zeppelin. Fellow inmates, off to slave away on their various high-tech projects.

Soon they came to a wide doorway in the corridor. The globs floated off, and she followed him inside a cavernous, circular chamber. A table in the shape of a large, hollow oval filled the room. A variety of chairs, stools and puddles of slime were placed around it, with several spots already taken by fellow prisoners. Her heart ached at the sight; this wasn't a prison, it was a _zoo_ _._ A creature that looked like an orange woolly mammoth with four trunks sat beside a green, skinny reptile-thing with a domed forehead and big webbed feet. Black glistening nodules covered the reptile's body, as if it had bathed in caviar. Someone else pushed past the Doctor, a large blob whose skin was the consistency of sticky toffee pudding. She settled herself under the table in a custard-like splat of fluid, her three stunning blue eyes swaying at the end of frangible marzipan stalks.

"Hey, Doctor, Chloe," said Flowers, giving him a little wave. She was sat in a black swivel chair at one end. "Everyone, this is the Doctor and Chloe." A few lethargic hoots and murmurs were made in his direction as Flowers introduced them. The mammoth was Yahoomer. The reptile was Blista. The caramelised creature on the custard cushion had the pretty name of Nesshalop. "Did you two sleep OK?" Flowers asked. "Your room will be prepared in the next couple of days."

"That casual, fun-camp vibe you're going for doesn't really work when I have to be frogmarched here by a bunch of globs."

"Only till you know your way around."

"And to remind me we're your prisoners." For all the local colour in the room, she knew the Doctor had to feel sick or trapped at the thought of reporting to the same room day after day, year after year. "Where's Rose?"

"She's in a detention centre simulation."

"Is she all right?" Chloe asked

"She's doing her time." Flowers looked away. "I told you how it works, Doctor. Help us out, help yourself get out." She gestured around. "This is the accelerated gravity group. We meet here to go through stuff, share findings, pool our thoughts. Literally."

She glanced at the little headsets in front of each place around the table, linked into a gleaming chrome keg-shaped console in the table's centre. The Doctor pulled up a seat and stretched the flexible headset. "Can you pick up XFM on these?"

"The mindmitters interface with your implant to overcome the language barrier. They translate your thoughts and project them on to the screen there." Flowers pointed to a large glowing rectangle that had appeared in the rocky wall between two steel pillars.

"Yeah?" The Doctor eagerly put on a headset and the chrome console glowed a burnished blue. An image of Flowers dancing the Macarena appeared on the screen, until with a squawk she was buried beneath a massive pile of globs and carried off out of sight.

Chloe let out a small laugh with the other prisoners while Flowers gave him a look that suggested she was less than impressed. "Yes, Doctor, even a simpleton can use them with ease. Shall we get on? Yahoomer, will you present the results of your cyclical gravity experiments on the boosters, please."

Blista helped slip the mindmitter in place around the mammoth's head. The console glowed fiery red this time and some intricate equations appeared on-screen. The Doctor skimmed over them. "Yeah, that's one way of coming at the problem. Normal gravity with go-faster stripes." He struck a flashy red line through the equations. "But these boosters will never have enough oomph in them to create a warp-hole in space."

Flowers blinked and erased his strike-through. "Doctor, we welcome serious offerings –"

"He is serious," Chloe said. "Remember the little revelation in the holding cell?"

"Wave it goodbye." he raised a friendly hand at Yahoomer before looking around pointedly, jiggling his hand from side to side.

"Wave!" Blista cried, holding up its webbed hand as neon green equations danced over the screen. "Gravitational wave."

Flowers bit her lip as the possibilities slowly dawned on her. "Wave theory, yes... So if the thrusters could generate a gravitational wave –"

"Past light speed of course," said the Doctor.

"Past light speed?" Flowers stared at him. "That can't be done."

"What happened to the 'C' in SCAT, Flowers? Where's your creativity?"

"Doctor, I really think –"

"What does gravity do? Makes you heavy, right? So to counter heavy, you need light." He grinned, leaned back in his chair. "Faster than light..."

Nesshalop's eyes were bulging on her pale pink stalks. With a high-pitched chittering, she expounded a theory that lit up the screen in icing-pink scribbles. The console in the middle of the oval table glowed a misty gold and began to tremble and hiss.

"Yes, Nesshalop!" grinned the Doctor. "Just the kind of thinking that's needed!"

"The translation circuits can't handle the equations," Flowers warned.

"It's all right, I know what she's getting at," said the Doctor, looking into Nesshalop's brilliant blue eyes. "But let's add to the algebra – cross the Ts, make the Is dotty, draw a little love heart round the X…"

Chloe just stood back and watched it happen. She didn't understand everything she was seeing but it was obvious there was some real premise grounding the equations. The console started to steam. "Doctor, Nesshalop, stop," snapped Flowers. "Take off your mindmitters." The redhead could see the globs floating down, obviously sensing something was wrong, and suddenly, the Doctor and Nesshalop stood up, unblinking yet not looking away from one another. "You, make them stop." She glanced around, realizing Flowers was talking to her, making her nod once.

"Doctor," she said, grasping the Time Lord's shoulders. "Doctor, you need to stop! The machine can't take much more; it's going to explode and it might hurt someone if it does." Finally, the Time Lord blinked, slowly dragging his gaze from the alien to her. "Doctor, please, look." she nodded towards the console, which looked ready to catch fire. Finally, he took the mindmitter off, but not before a diagram came up from the screen. Schematics of Justica.

Nesshalop seemed to come to a second later, and the diagram bursted from the screen into a three-dimensional schematic… just as the console exploded, sending Flowers to the ground and the Doctor shielding Chloe, who had instinctively yelped and thrown her arms over her face.

A moment after than, the globs were all over the three. "What have you done?" Flowers demanded.

"Sorry about that, got a bit carried-" the Doctor broke of, gasping, and Chloe quickly figured why as her back was suddenly being electrocuted, making her grip on the Doctor's jacket tighten as she bit her lip. "Don't hurt Nesshalop and Chloe!" the Doctor shouted, eyes wide, teeth gritted. "It wasn't their fault, it was mine... I didn't realise the console's limitations…" He sank to his knees, pulling Chloe down with him as the shocks just got worse.

"Get off them." she heard Flowers snap. "I said get off them! Priority command, voiceprint Lazlee Flowers - release them!" The electricity faded, but the redhead couldn't stop quivering, only just barely stopping her panic when the Doctor moved away to breathe on Nesshalop's skin. Somehow, she knew it was a ritual of regret that just happened. As she stumbled over to the two, his hand went between her shoulder blades as he glared at Flowers.

"Not sadists or savages, you said." he growled.

"That was out of my hands," she protested. "You damaged the infrastructure, the globs are a part of that."

"Those things wanted to cripple us!"

"I assure you, they're not programmed to be-" Flowers cut herself off as Yahoomer started to talk in his native language. Blista started hopping on the spot. "I can't understand them and they can't understand me - the translator's ruined!"

"Never mind," the Doctor said, stepping away from the now calmer alien. "You can thank us in any languages you like. We've just sorted your gravity problems, after all."

"What?" Flowers stared at him in disbelief. "I–I understood some of what I saw, but... Doctor, do you mean to say that within ten minutes of your joining this group, you've solved the problems I've been exploring for over five years?"

"Nothing wrong with taking the scenic route," the Doctor told her, "lots of pretty views along the way. But I wanted to go straight to the summit, and Nesshalop helped push me along." He smiled. "So d'you want to know what we think?"

"Do I want to know?" She stared at him, choked off a slightly hysterical laugh. "Doctor, tell me. Tell me. _Tell me_ tell me tell me tell me tell me –"

"I dunno." The Doctor seemed to consider, making Chloe smile as she realized what he was doing. "Maybe Nesshalop should tell you."

"How! The console's ruined, the translator circuits are burnt out."

"Oh, of course!" He slapped his hand against his forehead as if this hadn't occurred to him, then stared at her in shock. "Don't you carry spares?"

"Nesshalop is the only Sucrosian here, Doctor." Flowers pushed her glasses securely back on to her nose and pursed her lips. "It will take days to transfer her implant's thought codes into a new translator."

"Days, eh?" He looked flummoxed by the news. "So really you can only get this information you're dying to hear from me…"

"As well you know," she said sourly.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows suggestively. "Rose is in a borstal, you say? Let's deal."

* * *

They were on a proper tour of the SCAT-house when the Doctor paused, looking at the two Slitheen brothers. She hesitated a little behind him, knowing she looked like a mess with her split lip from where she had bitten it to not scream.

"What are you up to?" He called, moving closer.

"Big flare's about to rip out from the largest sun," Ecktosca replied, sparing them only the briefest of glances, though she knew he was looking at her bloodied face. "We're going for full-on containment."

"What are you using?" When no one answered him, she could see the curiosity in his eyes. "No, hang on, I'll guess - the mother of all compression fields! Big enough to squeeze a star." They didn't reply, but their excitement was clear to see, and as the globs shepherded them away, he called back, "See you later, boys."

* * *

"They're up to something," she said as soon as they were back in the cell, the Slitheen still out. As they sat on the bed, she could see the curiosity and wariness in his eyes.

"Big enough to compress a star," he started, and she knew it was for her benefit. "Could the Slitheens we met have just been black sheep?" Chloe paused, thinking back to all the adventures with the said creatures and shrugging.

"I don't know," she said. "It's possible, but these guys, they're not good. Maybe they are who they say they are, but they're hurting people." he gained a wicked grin and her breath caught. "What's with that look?"

"I think," he said. "This is the perfect time to poke about a next, what about you?"

Groaning, she rubbed her eyes. "I- yeah, that sounds good, but I have to do it," she ordered, pointing a finger at him. "Considering I don't have a scent to accuse me with."

* * *

Her hands were red, slightly sore and all sorts of cracked, but she had found something like a scuba diver's mask under Ecktosca's nest. She was doing her best to get the fluid and dusted quicklime off her hands when the cell opened and the Doctor spoke.

"Home-made compression field." he said. "Courtesy of the SCAT-house workshops."

"And a little old-fashioned Slitheen ingenuity." Ecktosca said, making her jump up and the Doctor spin around to face him.

"An application of the gear you've been using to control the sunbursts," the doctor said, and Chloe didn't understand a word of it. "But why? If you can't find your ancestors' compression fields you'll make your own, is that it?"

Dram rushed past his brother into the cell, claws raised and outstretched for the Doctor's throat, and Chloe was beside him in a second, watching as the globs stopped Dram before he could reach them. "Don't think about it too hard, you fool." Eckosca hissed. "If the globules detect what we've been up to we're finished. Even if we have just given Flowers full mastery over solar flares.

"You've sorted that out for her, have you? Well done." The Doctor beamed. "She's gonna think all her Christmases have come at once. Should put her in a good mood – which is good for me…"

The globs drifted slowly away from Dram's trembling body. His black eyes were still narrowed at the Doctor. "Poking about in our affairs is not good for you, Doctor," said Ecktosca heavily.

"What do you care? You're going to escape! I bet you've got another one of these gadgets salted away in Dram Fel Fotch's nest... But how are you going to break out without bringing down the globs, eh?" He grinned. "I get it. Compression field shrinks down your form, alters the molecular state of your mind and body. It'll compress the implant too, confuse the signals enough for you to get away. Right?" He chucked the compression field at Dram, who caught it in one massive hand. "Thing is – even if you've bypassed the implant, even if you've rustled yourselves up a top disguise on the SCAT-house sewing machine – where is there to go?" Chloe shifted, once again recalling the hunting forest. She felt as if she was missing something, but _what?_

"That's not your business," hissed Dram.

"And home-made compression fields aren't Flowers's business, either," said the Doctor brightly. "But it's weird how these things get out."

Ecktosca's big black eyes narrowed. "You wish to stop us?"

"What, and miss having the cell all to ourselves?"

"Then you wish to escape with us."

"That's a generous offer." He grinned. "When are you off?"

"We don't know," said Dram. _Soon, then_ _,_ Chloe thought.

"When help is at hand," said Ecktosca, just as unhelpfully. _Very,_ very _soon?_

"Fine. I'm not ready to leave yet either. I'm trying to swing a visit from a good friend of mine." He frowned. "And even if that comes off, I can't just escape to any old place. I've got property I need to collect."

"Is that a fact?" said Ecktosca softly. "Well, then, let's hope you live long enough to do so."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chloe demanded

The Slitheen lumbered closer, pressed his grotesquely babyish face up close, making her want to gag. "It is not only the globules that watch over us on Justice Prime, Chloe."

* * *

She came to when the Doctor shifted. Not quite realizing what was up, she buried her head deeper into his shoulder, grip on his shirt tightening. "Chloe, c'mon," he murmured.

"Nooo," she replied in the same manner. "Comfy."

"Chloe, we're being summoned."

She blinked at this before tilting her head up and frowning. "What? I didn't hear anything…"

"The implant didn't-?" She shook her head, realization and fear striking through her. Oh god, were they…? It didn't matter, the globs would keep her safe, just for a little while when he was gone.

"I'll be fine for a little bit by myself," she said, perhaps more for her sake. Then, of course, she realized how they were laying and scrambled up with a blush, moving to give the Doctor his coat. He shrugged it on with an amused expression before heading towards the open door, only getting halfway before Ecktosca stopped him.

"Going somewhere Doctor?" he hissed.

"I've been summoned," he replied in an equally cold tone.

"Oh yes? By whom?"

"Flowers, I think."

"He's going to see Issabel," came Dram's angry snarl. "He'll betray us!"

"Course I won't," said the Doctor crossly. "I don't know what this is about. The door opened by itself. I didn't do it, did I?"

"The globs took you last time," said Ecktosca.

"Yeah, so now I can find the way myself."

"He's going to make a deal for himself by selling us out," Dram fumed. "I would in his shoes."

"Well, you're not in my shoes, are you?" said the Doctor. "Trust me. I won't grass you up." She saw the claw around his calf tighten, making him gasp in pain before the globs went onto Ecktosca, allowing the Time Lord to get away.

"A tiny taste, Doctor," the slitheen whispered. "Of what your little friend can expect should you make a deal."

The last thing she saw of the Doctor's face was the worried and furious look of The Oncoming Storm before the door slammed shut.

* * *

The Doctor felt a wave of anger and despair overtake him as he reached his now empty cell. The Slitheen must have believed he'd told Flowers and Issabel their secret about the home-made compressors after all – and put whatever plan they had into action and took Chloe with them. There had been as much as a struggle as she could've managed, the nests were completely destroyed and the mattress was leaning haphazardly against a wall.

Whether they were successful or not made little difference to four very vital fundamentals.

One, that when Rose arrived, the two of them could no longer piggyback the Slitheen's escape attempt.

Two, security would doubtless now be stepped up, making it still harder to get away.

Three, Chloe Nightingale was now lost at such a point in her timeline where reality could be rewritten due to her knowledge.

Four, being stuck here, powerless, was an all-round royal pain in the. . .

The Doctor kicked his mattress in frustration. At least Rose was on her way here now. But what would he tell the blonde about her friend? How could he possibly begin to explain that the memories of her would start vanishing? That wasn't mentioning that Issabel woman or the cold, malevolent look in her eyes when she'd question Rose at the end. What would happen when the Consul saw that she was no genius astrophysicist? Send her back? Punish her? Worse?

And what was this about a Slitheen in Rose's borstal? Aliens were sent _here_ , Flowers had been adamant on that when he'd first arrived. And yet Issabel had seemed alarmed at the possibility at first, before suddenly dismissing it out of hand. Rose was wrong, she'd said. Just wrong.

He remembered Ecktosca Fel Fotch's words before lights-out. _It is not only the globules that watch over us on Justice Prime…_

* * *

When she woke up, she was in pitch blackness, globs laying all around her, with two of them having very familiar zippers across them.

"Why take me?" she demanded.

"You are useful," Ecktosca answered. "Leverage."

"That'll just make the Doctor angry," she warned, but got no response, leaving her to sigh and stay laying on her stomach, staring off into the darkness.

* * *

"Screwdriver," a familiar voice hissed, making Chloe look up just in time to have the area lit up with the blue light.

"Doctor!" She cried, rushing towards him and doing the best hug she could do in the tight space.

"So you didn't escape," Flowers whispered. "Ecktosca Fel Fotch? Dram?"

"Senator Flowers, I never dreamed you'd go to such lengths to find us," rumbled the nearest glob – in the voice of Ecktosca.

"We weren't looking for you, sorry Chlo,' the Doctor told him, looking at her apologetically. She just shrugged. "We're on the run from one of your kind, and this is the only place she can't get us."

Ecktosca's glob tried to nod thoughtfully. "So you've learned the truth about Consul Issabel – or rather, that harpy Ermenshrew."

"You knew?" breathed Flowers.

Chloe glanced at the Doctor. "Feelin' a little out of the loop here."

"Oh yes, all along."

'And you didn't try to warn me?'

"Slitheen do not share family business with _aliens,_ " the glob informed her tartly. "The Blathereen are our problem, and one we shall deal with. One day." _Blathereen?_

"Blathereen! Ha!" The Doctor seemed delighted. "I knew Ermenshrew had to be from a different family! That explains why 'Consul Issabel' dismissed Rose's claim that there was a Slitheen on Justice Beta."

"Your friend said that?" hissed Dram quickly.

"Yeah – but what she'd really seen was a Blathereen."

"One of a whole pack of them," said Ecktosca distastefully.

"The Blathereen have been infesting Justicia for years."

"They're working on some big master plan," the Doctor agreed. "But _what?_ "

"Family business?" Chloe offered wearily. "It always boils down to money or revenge, doesn't it?"

"Alright, yeah, that's fair," he agreed. "What about you lot? Why are you here?"

"We explained-" Dram started.

"All that guff about being family historians." The Doctor shook his head. "I saw your picture on the cell wall - the Slitheen family business is still going strong, isn't it?"

"You merely saw a historical re-enactment. I always dress up for an auction, the punters love it." He leaned forward and jiggled his zipper. "The fuel-sale business _had_ to be wound up – because the Blathereen undercut us and stole all our customers. They were better organised, more streamlined and had lower overheads…"

"So you're yesterday's men," the Doctor surmised. "And with your noses put out of joint. So you came along here –"

"To get our ancestors' belongings," he insisted. "I mean, yes, we knew the Blathereen were sneaking about Justicia – but who cares? Humans deserve all they get, if you ask me." The shrunken Slitheen gave a loud belch. "Then that ratbag Ermenshrew had us banged up because she needed our brainpower!"

"And she got it, too, didn't she?" Chloe said.

"We didn't want her getting suspicious while we worked on our escape," said Dram.

"I'm amazed she didn't cotton on," Ecktosca admitted. "I mean, if our genius allows us to compress the powers of a solar eruption, it follows that we can compress ourselves quite spectacularly too – for a limited time, anyway. And you were right, Doctor, it sorts out that silly implant good and proper."

Dram giggled and let loose an enormous fart. "Although it does push the gas exchange to the limit."

"But how'd you get up here…?" The Doctor clicked his fingers. "Easy! You start a fight while you're full size, wait for the globs to come down and get you, set off your compression fields and hang on when they float back up to the rafters."

"Very good, Doctor," said Ecktosca drily. "If this thing had hands I'd be clapping."

"But why? I mean, now we're prisoners up here instead of down here. Not much to choose between, is there?" Chloe asked

"Your discovery of our compression fields forced us to move sooner than we would have liked," he said. "We've not yet located the only way out."

"But no one can get in or out of Justicia," said Flowers. "Unless…"

The Doctor craned his neck to look round at her. "Go on."

"I overheard Issabel – Ermenshrew, I mean – talking about... pathways. Passages that must exist between here and one of the other worlds."

"Not just one of the other worlds," said Ecktosca. "There are pathways joining _all_ the worlds in Justicia."

Flowers reacted. " _All_ of them?"

"Not pathways – warp-holes." The Doctor rolled over, perilously near the edge of the ledge, to look back at Flowers properly in the dim blue light. "The very thing you've been hoping to use for space travel. Only the Blathereen have already got them. They've used them to travel between the worlds of Justicia without arousing suspicion."


	10. The Monsters Inside (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan gets revealed...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a poll up on [my fanfiction.net profile](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4459102/), the question being "Which regeneration should be the first one to kiss Chloe in Something Worth While?" You can select up to 2 choices, the answers being from 9 to 13, each with their own problems that come with the regeneration. For 9, it's during Winner Takes All. For 10, it's post-The Waters of Mars. For 11, it's during The Big Bang. For 12, it's post-Oxygen. For 13, it's post-Resolution. Currently, 10 and 11 are in the lead with two votes, followed by 9, 12 and 13 with one vote each. Go vote now!
> 
> If you haven't read The Monsters Inside, I highly suggest you do! I'm skipping a lot of dialogue and scenes that may help build the story, like what's happening with Rose

"The light's fading," Chloe noted quietly, making the Doctor roll back onto his stomach to look at it.

"Battery's running down. Better switch off, save the power." Flowers did so, and Chloe inhaled sharply. "We have to find the portal. We need to get to Justice Delta and rescue Rose."

"I know where the portal must be," said Flowers with sudden certainty. "I saw one of the Executive senators walking about this morning. I thought he was here for a meeting but it had been cancelled – and no shuttle had arrived. Issabel tried to convince me I'd made a mistake, but I saw him. He went into the aquaculture compound."

"Did you see him come out?" hissed the Doctor.

"No – I mean, I didn't stay around to look, but what would he have been doing in there by himself?"

"It's quiet, deserted?"

"The experiments were scaled down some months ago," said Ecktosca.

"Then postponed, by Issabel herself," Flowers added, "and she never did explain why."

"How fast can we get there?" Chloe asked, and in response, the two Slitheens took off, leaving her, the Doctor and Flowers to crawl after them. She hadn't notice anything was wrong until Dram shrieked in pain.

"One's got me! It's got me!" The redhead jerked to the side as a glob landed right where her head had been.

"Holy shit," she breathed. "Ermenshrew reprogrammed them, we have to move!"

"They're sluggish. Getting a feel for their new programming, there's still time…" the Doctor trailed off, peering ahead of her. "Look, we must nearly be there! There's light at the end of the tunnel!" He pushed ahead, leaving the two women to crawl after him. She got there just in time to see the man jump off the perch, and for a second, she was ready to scream.

And then she glanced at the globs on her and also launched herself off the edge.

Suddenly, she was over the aquaculture compound. It was a big, circular chamber. Around the perimeter, and in a large circle in the middle of the room, trees and plants stood in bays awash with nutrients. They were fed through ribbed pipes that hung down around them like vines from occasional metal silos. The white walls behind them glowed with simulated sunlight.

There was no one else here besides the Doctor, who was staggering about with two globs on his shoulder and one on his leg. Flowers, despite having more globs on her, was placed on the ground beside him while she remained stuck floating with a huff. "Little help?" she asked, making the Doctor grin and pull her down those final two feet. He didn't make skin to skin contact, however, and for that she was grateful as she realized what was happening as soon as Flowers's globs went off her and then onto the other two. "She'll have cut you out of the command structure," she warned the human.

"Where are the Slitheen?" Flowers asked, looking around. "They could help!"

"Might already have gone." Another eight swooped down from the darkness, four ready to slam into the Doctor, but she quickly caught them with her arms, experiencing slight vertigo, but still no pain. "Portal, _quick!_ "

* * *

"What is this?" the Doctor croaked, covered in more globs than Chloe ever wanted on him. She knew she didn't look any better.

"It – it's a nitrogen feed, she told him. Two more globs plopped down to join the scrum, one on his thigh, one slap bang on his face. The right side of her face was completely covered by now. "Don't worry, Doctor, Chloe, I'll find the portal –"

"Thought it was a nitrogen feed. Feeding from where?"

"The planet's surface. There's a pipeline that stretches right up. Now let me go and –"

"The atmosphere's nitrogen?"

Flowers wrung her hands. "Almost all of it. As we reach the furthest point from the suns, it freezes and falls as nitrogen snow. It's processed in the silo here, combined with ammonia and fed to the plants –"

"Open the feed," he gasped, dragging himself towards it, to which Chloe quickly followed.

"What?"

"Sonic screwdriver! Inspection plate, there!" Five more globs gathered over him; he was all but buried. She was having issues moving her left side. "Hurry! Ermenshrew will be on her way!"

Flowers pointed the device at the inspection plate. The screwdriver whirred but the energy released was feeble. The pinhead screws barely jostled in their housings.

"Give it a thwack!" Chloe called.

Flowers whacked the shaft of the screwdriver against the silo. The blue energy waves gave a sudden crackle and the inspection plate burst open. Flowers screamed and leaped back as a lethal blizzard of nitrogen escaped at high pressure.

It sprayed out into the walkway and all over the Doctor and Chloe.

Or rather, over the globs that smothered them. With a sickening squeal, the globs fell off of them and shattered over the floor as the two struggled to clear the freeze. His jacket was frozen, and he had a few red patches on his face and forehead, but other than that, he was unharmed.

"Well done," he told Flowers, kicking the dead globs away and moving to help her up. "I meant to say, get out of the way."

"How'd you know that would happen?" Chloe asked, and from his startled look that lingered on her left arm and right side of her face, she could guess she looked pretty bad.

"This planet's been moved 20 million miles further out from the suns, remember? That's frozen more of the atmosphere into nitrogen ice, brought it twinkling down to the ground ready for processing – far more than that thing was built to cope with."

Flowers wasn't satisfied. "There must be something more to it than that."

He scrutinised a nearby tomato plant. "You explain it, then."

"The thing they're using to make the space tunnels – the gravity warp!" cried Flowers. "They've built it up on the planet surface, haven't they? Where no one would ever see it!"

"What, and you reckon the short-wave gravity field forced that near- liquid nitrogen out at high pressure?" He looked at her and smiled. "Oh, so that's what happened!"

Chloe smiled, but it dropped as she smelt something. "Is that ammonia?"

"We must have ruptured the nutrient tank, it's escaping into – ah!" Abruptly, he gripped the trunk of a tall, graceful sapling, littered with burgundy leaves. "And on the subject of escaping…"

Flowers clutched his arm. "You've found the portal?"

"This is a poppito tree. Native only to the Slitheen planet." He gripped it, pulled it, peered all around it. "Got to be a clue, right?"

"What a genius you truly are, Doctor."

Chloe looked up in alarm at the grating alien voice.

Ermenshrew, still in her true and slavering form, had entered the compound. She was watching them now through black and narrowed eyes.

"What d'you want _now_?" The Doctor sighed, looking quite affronted at the Blathereen's sudden presence.

"How did you free yourself of the globs?" she hissed.

He shrugged. "Gave them the cold shoulder."

"I have had more than enough of your pathetic attempts to stave off the inevitable."

"Well, we were just off anyway," said the Doctor. "About to jump down your warren in space."

"And it is only ours," she hissed. "Our carapaces are strong enough to travel the warp-holes with no ill effects. Humans are not so hardy. It's very inconvenient – if we could have risked bringing your pretty little human piggy through the portal, my cousin would still be well."

"But you're not making these tunnels just for convenient travel, are you? With the gravity amplifier magnifying the energy of the warphole network, you can create tunnels through space a billion times bigger." The Doctor stared at Ermenshrew. "But why? Why d'you need such a big hole?"

"You'll find out for yourself soon enough." Her dark eyes glittered. "Your team are progressing so very nicely without you on the late shift, Doctor. Construction of the amplifier will soon be complete." Ermenshrew cocked her enormous head to one side. "Now that I've shown them what happens if they fail me."

She threw something down on the floor. It landed with a wet slop. Chloe stared, appalled, at a thick yellow puddle in which floated a single, sugar-frosted eye.

"Nesshalop, I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"And now, Flowers, I think it's time you were dead."

"No." The Doctor was trembling with anger. "Before you do anything else, I should take a sniff with that supersnout of yours."

And Ermenshrew did. "Ammonia?"

"'S right." He gestured to the gaping inspection panel. "I programmed a hyper-destronic pulse into the nitrogen feeder. The ammonia's acting as a carrier. Every passing second it's transmuting the energy as we speak – ready to send it shooting up into your gravity warp above."

"You're lying." She took a step forwards, raised her claws.

"You've not got long to disconnect it. Any minute now, that warp's gonna be scattered over half the frozen surface of this planet. And that'll make a mess of _anyone_ who tries to go through one of your warp-holes, won't it?"

Ermenshrew turned to a patch of glowing wall and hissed in anger. It slid smoothly aside to reveal a vertical access shaft studded with meaty metal rungs. "For the record, I know this is a trick, OK?"

"Sure you do."

'Just remember, there's nowhere you can go to escape me." She ducked inside and started to climb. Her voice floated down to them in eerie echoes. "Even if you dared risk the portal, the controls can't be primed by aliens. I'll be seeing you very soon."

The Doctor dashed to scoop up Nesshalop's eye in its sticky fluid. It winked at him sadly, and he pressed a kiss against its wrinkled, frosted lid. Chloe wanted to be disgusted, but obviously the alien could still control it, so she forced herself to just look at her hands. "We'll leave this in a nutrients tray. If it doesn't dry out she may be able to reabsorb it."

"What's the use?" moaned Flowers. "That evil _thing!_ She'll kill Nesshalop, all of us! How can we possibly stop the Blathereen doing whatever it is they're doing?"

"Well, for one, we don't give up," the redhead told her. "How can we find Rose?"

Flowers wiped her eyes. "Ammonia is getting worse," she muttered. Then, suddenly, the ground beside the two women seemed to explode in a blinding charge or familiar blue light. In a wink of an eye, the two Slitheen were coughing their guts up beside them.

"Thought you'd scarpered," the Doctor grinned, slapping them on their backs.

"Waiting for you lot to push off out of it," Dram growled.

"You should try coping with that level of ammonia when your lungs are the size of a pig's nipple," added Ecktosca. "Filthy stuff." Still coughing, he clamped a claw around the poppito tree's golden trunk. It glowed and vanished – to reveal a large black disc in the bottom of the plant tray.

"Can't be primed by an alien, but _will_ respond to their own kind," grinned the Doctor.

"After what we've been through, we're not about to get locked up by Ermenshrew, poisoned by gas or blown to bits by the back-blast of your hyper-destronic pulse!" Ecktosca scrambled on to the disc.

"My what?" The Doctor frowned.

"Your bluff!" Chloe reminded him

"Oh, yeah, that!"

"Come on, Dram," said Ecktosca. "Anywhere's got to be better than here."

Dram joined him. Their images blurred and faded.

The Doctor took Chloe's hand and offered Flowers his other one. "We must follow."

She coughed, her throat still burning with ammonia. "But we don't know where the tunnel leads!"

"We won't be there long – we'll be going straight on to Justice Delta. Unless it leads to Justice Delta, of course."

"But you heard her, it's not safe for us."

"You think it is _here?_ " Chloe demanded, eyes locked onto hers.

"You saw the gravometer. The planets are now in their most efficient and balanced positions. Should be a smooth enough ride." The Doctor added

"Should be?" Flowers pulled at the collar of her tunic. From somewhere up the access tunnel, a deep cry of rage was building.

'D'you think she's found out I was bluffing?" Hopping onto the platform, she grinned down at the Time Lord. The Doctor jumped on to the platform and hauled Flowers after him. She huddled beside him on the disc. He let go of Chloe's hand, and she was thankful for it judging by how Flowers's face looked. Suddenly, it felt as if an invisible fist was squeezing her like dough.

The world faded out and Chloe Nightingale found herself falling through the void for only a split second before the world faded back in.

She wasn't unconscious like the other two and she immediately raised her hands in defence as the two Slitheens turned to her, claws raised. "Calm down," she told them. "We're just using these things to get to Justice Delta. Once the Doctor is up, I'm sure we'll be on our way."

"This is Justice Delta." Dram told her, pointing to a screen, where she let out a shaky noise, a mix between relief and distress.

* * *

"There are guards outside the door," Ecktosca was telling Flowers while she knelt beside the Doctor, flicking the sonic every so often to keep it working.

"But we don't know how many there are," Dram added. "We need to be really strealthy, strike them down - maybe take the skins of a couple of them."

Ecktosca nodded. "Then perhaps we can bluff our way-"

"Do-" Chloe immediately slapped a hand over the Doctor's mouth as he started to yell, breath catching as everyone hushed him at once. For a moment, she thought she had managed to stop him from being loud, but then the door swung open and a Blathereen with a gun stepped through, followed by another and then another. The Doctor pulled a rueful face as Chloe was pulled away from him. "Well, at least that's one question answered. There are _lots_ of guards outside the door." He made no protest as a Blathereen grabbed his shoulders in its colossal claws and lifted him a good metre off the ground.

"Hello," said the Doctor brightly. "Take me to your leader!"

"I hate you so much right now," she grumbled.

* * *

Chloe, Flowers, Ecktosca and Dram were marched down the corridor behind the Doctor. They must have covered fifty metres before the Blathereen called them to a stop by a set of double doors.

"No wonder that portal's so heavily guarded," said the Doctor. "We're on the big man's doorstep!"

"Don Arco," muttered Dram.

Flowers frowned. "That's who Ermenshrew was talking to in her office!"

"The Blathereen Patriarch. May plaque brown his belly." Ecktosca earned himself a cuff round the back of the head. "So this is where he's set up shop."

"It's the Executive's prime lecture theatre," said Flowers.

The Doctor shook his head. "Not any more."

Inside it was oppressively dark. The stale, rank air was so thick you could chew it. The ornately designed windows had been smeared with a brown, gooey slime as if to keep out the light. The seats had all been ripped out and an uneven, glassy material secreted over the floor in their place. Part of Chloe wondered if this is what the inside of the Space Whale would be like, assuming she made it that far.

And there was another creature that sat in the middle of this nightmare landscape. She could see it from here, shrouded in spice-rich smoke from the hundreds of burning candles that encircled it.

The guards held back, apparently reluctant to continue into the ruined theatre, and the Doctor turned to Ecktosca. "Why all the vapours?"

But it was Dram who answered, with ghoulish enthusiasm. "Don Arco's escaped execution twice. The second time he had to hide out in a toxic dump for a year. Wrecked his lungs."

"The fumes from the salve-candles are meant to ease his breathing," said Ecktosca. "Though if you ask me, he's just posing. There's nothing wrong with him at all."

"Approach," boomed a gravelly voice through the swirls of smog.

She and the others were pushed on into the gloom, their feet sticking on the syrupy surface. The redhead could hear Flowers choking on the smoke. Then, out of the flickering, shifting shadows, the shape of an enormous, obese Blathereen resolved itself, wheezing for breath. Its stomach spilled over its lap, almost reaching its waxen knees. Its neck was a swollen sac, and rippled as it swept its head from side to side, until it came to fix its bulbous, watery eyes on the Doctor.

"Don Arco, right?" The Doctor nodded in greeting. "The big cheese. The head honcho. The Patriarch."

The leathery lips cracked open in a smile. "Welcome to my worlds. So, you're the esteemed Doctor." Don Arco heaved a noisy breath, nodded approvingly. 'The man who showed us the light. We were so close to the breakthrough we needed, we just couldn't see it.'

The Doctor peered at the grotesque creature. "Can't see much in this fog, can you?"

"I can see you have two Slitheen with you." He chuckled, a noise like rubble shifting. "Bad luck, boys. You were full of big words at the start. But you couldn't stop us."

"We're not through yet," sneered Ecktosca. The guard behind him kicked the back of his leg, forced him down on one knee.

"Hey, I may be recruiting. You want a job, Slitheen?" He laughed again, phlegm rattling in his labouring lungs. "Only I got this big butt, see? And it needs kissing nice and regular. Think you can pucker up for me, Slitheen? Huh?"

"May your mother boil in the cauldron of atonement, Arco," Ecktosca hissed. His guard struck him. The blow sounded like the first bite into a toffee apple.

"You're little people," said Don Arco, peering down at the Slitheen. "Look at you. Your family used to be respected. Used to prosper. You held the outer archipelagos in your dirty claws. But it all went wrong for you, didn't it. . . ?" He leaned forwards in his chair, causing the candle flames around him to gust alarmingly. "When did you go so soft, Slitheen?'

Dram struggled in the hold of his guard, but he too was forced down to his knees.

"So these schmucks have got you on side, huh, Doc?" Arco stretched out his wobbling neck to scrutinise the Doctor more closely. "Got you as their scientific advisor?"

'What are you on about?"

"For their big comeback." Again, the Blathereen laughed nastily. "You're gonna help them get back on top of their planet-frying game, right?"

The Doctor looked at Ecktosca and Dram, the disappointment on his face clear. "So much for antiques and dressing up."

The Slitheen said nothing, but Don Arco was happy to fill their silence. "They came here snooping for their old relics. And in the process they found out we were here. They really thought they could take over our operation. Thought they were big enough to cope." He laughed again, big dribbling gasps of laughter as he turned his attention to the Slitheen. "Know what? I don't even get pleasure from seeing you beg. You're nothing to me. I think maybe I should just kill you now."

"Never mind them. Why don't you tell me what you're doing here? What I've helped you to achieve?" The Doctor smiled. "What I could go on to help you achieve." Chloe stared at him, distinctly remembering a different regeneration offering another enemy help. "Time to think about other plans."

A furious bellowing carried from beyond the blacked-out windows. Don Arco gestured, and the guard holding Chloe went over to see, dragging her with him. He wiped his claw against the mucky glass and she caught a glimpse of overgrown lawns, of straggly topiaries: a magnificent garden gone to pot. And in the middle of a bush, the legs of a Blathereen pedalling the air. There was another shriek of rage.

"It's Ermenshrew," the guard reported. "Upside down in a bush. Should I go help her?"

"She's blown up worlds. She's massacred millions. She's run a talent agency on Hastus Minor." Don Arco glared at the guard. "You think she can't get herself out of a bush?"

Chloe looked away as Ermenshrew dragged herself out of the bush and started stomping towards the building. The Doctor's sabotage had worked after all – not that it made much difference.

Don Arco stared at the Doctor. "How come there's a problem with the portal? _You_ got through OK."

"These little warp-holes in space can play up a bit," said the Doctor.

"What are you using them for, anyway – saving on taxi fares?"

"They've made a useful little travel system for getting around Justicia. But once your gravity amplifier is up and running –"

"You can enlarge them. That's what you've been planning all along."

Don Arco sniggered, a sound like elephants dancing in a skip full of gravel. "We knew you alien schmucks would make the breakthrough someday. So we've been busy preparing…"

"So, now you can join all the holes together to create a whacking great portal in the fabric of space."

"Precisely."

"But why?" Chloe asked, unable to stop herself. It just didn't make sense, unless they were going to try and do something stupid like-

The Patriarch smiled round at them all, even at the Slitheen still kneeling before him. "The super-portal we're going to create is for the entire Justicia system to pass through. The planets, the suns – all of it!"

She stared at him in shock, which was a bad thing because she had no filter for the words she spoke next. "Are you actually fucking _stupid?_ You just want to take six planets and three suns and just, what, relocate them? Without calculating the implications or lasting effects that might happen to said planets and suns? Or to the area where you are relocating to?"

"It's impossible. Can't be done. The force you'd need to shift suns out of their orbit, together with their family of planets –" Flowers started.

"We _can_ do it," Don Arco assured her.

"But you _can't_ fly an entire solar system through space!"

"Can so too." Don Arco nodded happily, setting his chins wobbling. "It's taken me thirty years of research, and eight more in the field here while we've slowly taken over this whole place. We've turned your Executive's headquarters into one big calculating machine, working out the quantum mechanics involved. And thanks to some inspired work from your team on the hardware side, Senator Flowers, we're almost good to go. We'll control the whole thing remotely from Justice Prime, well away from the powers of the centrifuge."

"The whole _thing's_ impossible." Flowers took off her glasses and started polishing them furiously. "It's a ludicrous notion."

"Ludicrous!" the Doctor agreed. "Unlikely. Preposterous. Couldn't happen." He took a step closer to Don Arco, somehow dragging his towering guard along with him. "Suppose that's what you want the judge to think, isn't it, when the law comes looking for you? You know, after you've committed whatever perfect crime you're planning."

"Oh, come on," said Ecktosca suddenly. "Dirty great solar system whizzing through space? Hardly the least conspicuous getaway vehicle."

"No one's gonna see a thing, Slitheen," Don Arco said. "The spacewarps provide instant travel, right? So, we open us a hole in space – and Justicia jumps through it. We pop out close to another solar system."

The Doctor stared at him. "But you'll destroy it. You'll start a gravityquake, knock that system's planets out of orbit."

"Nah," Don Arco waved him off. "The three suns will incinerate them before then." He patted Dram on the head. "These guys built us a solar flare compressor. Reverse the circuits and you've got the biggest flamethrower in the universe. We can use it to burn up any number of worlds anywhere… Then pop back through the hole and into Justicia's native space like nothing's happened."

"So you bombard other worlds with nuclear radiation from Justicia's suns," Flowers started, "leave them burnt-out cinders – but why?"

"Because one person's burnt-out cinder is a space merchant's stockpile of fissile material," said the Doctor. "The Blathereen can sell off the chunks to any dodgy dealer with a nuclear space fleet to power."

"It's what the Slitheen family tried doing to Earth 500 years ago." Chloe added quietly, glaring at Don Arco.

"But you're missing the true genius of our plan," Don Arco huffed. "It's not just the unique positioning of Justicia's planets that makes it perfect for our needs. And it's not just having access to brilliant alien minds."

"The rest of Justicia's worlds?" the Doctor breathed. "What are you gonna do with them?"

Don Arco clapped his slimy claws together with joy. "Nothing shall be wasted! On justice Epsilon, the colonies will be put to work processing the fissile material we collect from the burnt-up planets."

"They won't live long exposed to that much radiation." Chloe protested

"Which is why, on Justice Beta, we have instructed that young male prisoners will mingle freely with young female prisoners in the borstals." He sniggered. "They will breed a new labour force for me. And of course, the good planets of Earth's empire will continue to send their unwanted louts, crooks and murderers to Justicia." His bulk throbbed with mirth. " _We_ want them very much. _We_ shall put them to excellent use."

"And you don't think anyone in EarthGov will notice?" Flowers challenged.

"Oh, I'm sure those humans on the secret monitoring committees would soon notice something." He chuckled. "If I hadn't already replaced them all with my godchildren!" He quivered with giggles, thick saliva dribbling down his fat neck. "So, no worries there."

Chloe didn't think she could feel angrier, yet here she was. Flowers spike up again. "But Justicia is in the business of selling punishment solutions to colonies all over the Empire – and you've messed up all the experiments!"

Don Arco waved a dismissive hand. "So, some of us stay in human character and report back to Earth now and then to sell them some faked results. Why not? Another little cash flow coming in."

"These are people you're talking about," the Doctor said furiously. "Human lives you're playing with!"

"If they can't do the time, they shouldn't do the crime." Don Arco clicked his claws together. "And, as I say, they'll serve a useful purpose. Those historical punishments dished out on Justice Alpha, for instance – building pyramids and the like? Not any more. Now those lucky people will be building storehouses for our processed fissile material, where it can be kept until it's ready for collection."

"Poisoning the planet, poisoning the people –"

"So what? When one part of Justicia gets too polluted I can use the portals to relocate the entire labour force to another of its worlds."

Don Arco giggled. "That's the wonderful thing about taking over a whole solar system: room for expansion. Important for any business, don't you think?'

"The scale of it!" Dram actually sounded impressed. "The _nerve_ of it!"

Ecktosca agreed. "We thought you were maybe planning to nuke the suns or something for increased fuel yield, but this –"

"Oh, yeah," said the Doctor. "It's incredible, audacious... all of that. If you pull it off." He stared up fearlessly at the hideous creature. "But you won't. No way. Because I'm gonna stop you."

At that moment, the doors to the Blathereen's lair slid open and Ermenshrew thundered in. The candles flickered, alarming Don Arco. "Gently, half-sister, gently!" He retched up a spluttering cough. "You'll give me a turn!"

"Kill the Doctor, Don Arco!" she howled. "Kill him and his friend! The trouble they've put me to today!"

The Doctor turned and grinned. "Oh, it was no trouble, honest!"

"You're too hasty," rumbled Don Arco. "We can still use his brain."

"Yes – as a chamois leather!" rasped Ermenshrew. I'll have Flowers polish the gravity accelerator with it – before I break her back!"

Flowers shuddered, and the Doctor must have noticed. "It's OK," he said soothingly. "She won't really make you polish with my brain. Think of the mess."

"Calm yourself in my presence, half-sister!" Don Arco commanded.

"Forgive me," she said. "But... it's my daughter. On Justice Beta. Something terrible has happened to her, I can feel it."

"Well, we'll check it out," Don Arco assured her. "Soon, OK? Now, don't let yourself get distracted. We need focus. How long before we're ready to take this system for a test drive?"

"A matter of hours," she said hollowly. "Your atmosphere is prepared in the SCAT-house, my dear."

His bulk shuddered with satisfaction. "Then we shall go there shortly.

Something moved out of the corner of Chloe's eye, and when she turned, she grinned at the sight of a giant floating platform seconds before it smashed into the floor above them.


	11. The Monsters Inside (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Blathereen are stopped...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a poll up on [my fanfiction.net profile](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4459102/), the question being "Which regeneration should be the first one to kiss Chloe in Something Worth While?" You can select up to 2 choices, the answers being from 9 to 13, each with their own problems that come with the regeneration. For 9, it's during Winner Takes All. For 10, it's post-The Waters of Mars. For 11, it's during The Big Bang. For 12, it's post-Oxygen. For 13, it's post-Resolution. Currently, 10 and 11 are in the lead with two votes, followed by 9, 12 and 13 with one vote each. Go vote now!
> 
> If you haven't read The Monster Inside, I highly suggest you do! I'm skipping a lot of dialogue and scenes that may help build the story, like what's happening with Rose.
> 
> I don't have a set update schedule, only that when there's over half a chapter complete, the one before it will be published. This chapter is the last part for The Monsters Inside. After that is a brief intermission and then Chloe goes back home to live through a few important events.

"What's happening?" Don Arco shrieked. At once, his guards rushed to encircle him. "Ugh! That's fresh air coming in through those windows!"

'We're under attack!' shouted Ermenshrew.

The Doctor was staring round in bewilderment too, but clearly he wasn't about to waste a good distraction. Freed from his guard's grip, he dashed over to where Chloe was crouched beneath the window with Flowers right behind him.

"What hit us?" he demanded. "A great big floating tower thing?"

Chloe nodded, brushing her hair from her eyes. "Yes. How did you –"

"There's another one coming straight for us!"

He yanked her up from the floor just in time for a second blast to rock the building. Both kept their balance, and as they dragged Flowers with them towards the main doors, a big crack in the glass-mottled floor appeared in front of them. Swiftly, they were able to get across to the other side, just before the crack widened into a minor chasm.

Ermenshrew was lumbering towards him, eyes narrowed with malice. 'You're going nowhere.'

"The air!" gasped Don Arco. Through his protective circle of Blathereen, he was flapping about like a fat fish out of water. "Leave them, Ermenshrew. We must evacuate! Regroup! Reassess! _Retaliate_ _!"_

"Re- _eally_ does go on, doesn't he?" beamed the Doctor. He turned and leaped across the divide, landing with a clumsy flourish. Chloe's relief and slight panic, the crack widened further. "I think perhaps you'd better go to him."

With an impotent hiss of rage, Ermenshrew stomped back towards her half-brother. Sharing a glance, Chloe followed the Doctor as he hauled up Flowers, the ructions going on between floor, walls, and ceiling.

"Ecktosca? Dram?" the redhead asked, making the Doctor glance round.

"Already cleared out, so let's get after them."

"But you heard Don Arco and Ermenshrew. They're going to the SCAT-house, they're going to use the amplifier!" Flowers protested.

"We can't stop them if this lot comes down on us – come _on!_ "

As they raced out of the door, she saw movement from the second platform and risked glancing up. " _Doctor, Chloe!_ " Rose yelled.

"Rose?" The Doctor, like Chloe, was stopped, gobsmacked, then he started whooping and jumping in the air. "Rose!"

The redhead glanced between the platform and the building. "Rose, you need to jump!" she called. "One of us will catch you, promise!" The blonde didn't even hesitate on jumping, and with a jolt, she realized she had aimed for her, leaving the redhead to scramble forwards, catching her with a small grunt. Without setting her down, Chloe ran away from the building, just out of range as another colossal explosion happened.

Finally, setting her down, she punched the blonde's arm. "Ow!" she protested.

"That's for getting yourself kidnapped." she scolded before hugging the blonde tightly, shuddering as she hugged her back. "And this is for being ok," she mumbled into her hair. As soon as she had stepped away, the Doctor swept Rose up into a giant hug, so much different than any she had received, and she was reminded, once again, that she was a stranger who knew too much to him, and that she had practically forced him to agree to pick up future her when they dropped her off.

"There's trouble," Rose teased, pulling her from her thoughts. "Jealous on the hug?"

Chloe laughed, it sounding a little strained even to her. "You know I love my Tyler hugs." But rather than go back for another hug, she nodded to the three humans who were coming their way.

"Rose Tyler, I presume," Flowers said. "The genius."

"Genius at finding trouble," Rose agreed. As the others arrived, and the flames licked and swirled around the shattered frontage of the building, she made brief introductions. It wasn't easy with Dennel, since he was in a kind of trance, staring at the flames.

"What's up with him?" whispered Flowers.

"He's got a thing about fire," said Rose. When she saw the disapproving look on Flowers's face, she went on defensively, "He never hurt anyone!"

"Only old buildings," he agreed faintly.

The Doctor looked between Rose and Dennel suspiciously while Chloe coughed behind her hand to hide her grin. "You're not making things domestic again, are you?"

"No!" the blonde protested.

"Only I know how you humans love your domestic stuff." Ouch, did the Doctor just nod towards her as he said that?

"Just quickly, Doctor," Flowers said, "what happened?" She gestured at the inferno raging behind them, choked on a stray gust of oily smoke. "What brought those monitoring platforms crashing down on us? We barely got out alive!'"

"Yeah." Robsen gestured to the caved-in wreckage. "That one we were in got dragged through a half-mile of the forest before it smashed into that building. Think I preferred the ride through that invisible tunnel."

"Oooh, a warp-hole," said Flowers sympathetically. "Yes, they're nasty."

"And you can make them nastier."

The Doctor looked suddenly sheepish. "Flowers. . . you know I rigged that warp-hole portal? Set up a repulsion field to shunt anyone who followed us out of the way?"

She nodded – then groaned. "Let me guess. To balance out the repulsion field, you created a local _attraction_ field to try to hold it stable."

The Doctor pulled a face. "But the screwdriver excited too many energy wavelengths in the portal."

Chloe and Rose shared the same look, each asking if they understood what they were saying before Rose took a guess. "And your local attraction became a big draw, right?"

The Doctor nodded. "Gravity and anti-gravity fields colliding, collapsing. Anything using similar energies got drawn into the vortex."

"Anything with anti-gravs, for instance," Dennel realised. "Say bye-bye to a few monitoring platforms!"

Rose dug her elbow in the Doctor's ribs. "You are so jammy!"

"It was skill," he said, affronted as Chloe grinned, happy to have the blonde back.

"It was a cock-up!"

"Making cock-ups at the right moment is a skill!"

"Er, excuse me?" Robsen was pointing past them. "Would you call this a cock-up?"

Chloe immediately turned around and let out a series of slung together curses.

They weren't the only ones to make it out of the building alive.

Through the smoke and the flames and the fumes, Blathereen were spilling from the caved-in entrance.

Six, eight, twelve. . .

They emerged in an unending stream, sooty, battered, and extremely fed up. Their terrible claws were clenching and unclenching, and their black eyes held a hunger for blood.

"Back into the forest," snapped Rose as the monsters approached, "it's our only chance."

As one, they turned and ran, the Blathereen lumbering in pursuit. Had it just been her, she would've easily ran away, but with the others, she stayed slow, making her feel like a fox trying to outrun a pack of hounds. It was a strangely silent pursuit, no growls or threats or gloats – only the creatures' footsteps thump-thump-thumping on the ground behind.

Somehow that made it more frightening.

Flowers started to tire first. "I can't keep up," she wheezed.

"You have to!" the Doctor snapped.

"If we can just make it to the forest," said Robsen, "perhaps we can lose them."

"There it is!" cried Dennel. The sight of the treeline spurred him on; he broke into a sprint. Then he skidded to a halt as four more battered Blathereen burst out from the forest, fanning out to head them off.

"Must be the ones we knocked down," said Robsen gravely.

"We're trapped," said Dennel, running back to join the group.

They huddled together as the Blathereen advanced, gurgling and salivating, clicking their monstrous claws. She saw Rose and the others shut their eyes, waiting for the aliens to strike, but before they could, another sound carried from the forest, and it only took her a second to realize what it was, making her smirk knowingly.

Hundreds of borstal kids ran from the forest, sticks and fists waving, yelling in fear and anger and _liberation_.

"Get them!" One of the women screamed, obviously the leader. "Stop the monsters! It's the only way we'll get home!"

"Her again," Robsen muttered.

"Never knew she had it in her," Rose added, causing Chloe to glance at them.

"Who is she?" she asked.

"Maggi." the blonde replied as The mob wasted no time getting stuck in, and the Blathereen blocking the way to the forest were soon overwhelmed through sheer force of numbers. Chloe could see the other Blathereen swapping glances, wondering whether to finish their hunt and stay and fight, or to stuff this for a game of soldiers and go get some new orders.

For now, they decided to stuff it, and retreated back towards the burning building.

There was no hope for those who'd been ambushed, and for a split second, she glanced at their pulpy forms sadly before remembering what they had been planning on doing. Or, rather, what they were going to do.

"Friends of yours?" said the Doctor faintly. "Running wild, no plan, no organisation, underestimating the opposition – they could all finish up dead."

Flowers turned to Robsen. "Shouldn't you be keeping an eye on this lot?"

He winced. "I've resigned."

"Hang on… Hey, Riz!" shouted Rose, jumping up and down. "Look, Dennel, it's Riz!"

Another girl, face scratched, hair wild, stared over in disbelief. "Rose!" She rushed over and flung her arms around her, doing that slightly spaced laugh of hers. "Are you OK? None of us knew what happened to you. It went all round the block... You're like everyone's hero! And Dennel – are you all right? And…" She grinned as she saw Robsen hanging back. "Warder Robsen!"

"You can drop the warder bit," he told her. "I'm like you now. Just trying to stay alive."

"Better stay out of sight then," she suggested. "That lot weren't good to the warders they met on the way."

"Is. . . Is Jamini OK?"

"When I last saw her," said Riz shiftily.

"How'd you get here?" Flowers asked. "Through a warp-hole?"

"This little black platform in Blanc's bedroom. Maggi said it would lead us to safety, but it took us here…" Chloe blinked before inhaling sharply. Only those of the same species could prime it...

"They're really taking orders from her?" Rose said, voice thick with disbelief.

"She showed them Blanc and the Governor were monsters – got them killed. After that, this lot seems to think she knows what she's talking about."

"What about Kazta?" Rose asked. "Thought she'd be well in there with a ruck going on –" Then another girl came forward, bruised and bloody but satisfied, from the heaving throng. She marched straight over to Rose. And offered her hand.

"Sorry for what I done."

Rose took the sticky red hand gingerly. "Just be careful what you're doing now."

The Doctor swapped an impatient look with Flowers while Chloe looked on, sensing there was something more to their story. "Well, this is a nice get-together, but there's stuff to do. We've got to –"

"We've got to take the monsters' lair!" bawled Maggi at the top of her lungs. "There'll be ships for you all there! Ships that can fly us –"

"Do you mind not interrupting when I'm trying to save the world?" the Doctor shouted, sounding indignant. "Quite a few worlds, actually!"

The rabble piped down a little for all of about two seconds. "Who the hell are you?" Maggi demanded.

"Yeah, who's he think he is?" came an angry voice from the crowd.

"He's hanging with a screw," said another. "Probably a screw himself?"

Kazta set them straight. "He's hanging with _Rose Tyler_!"

At this, an awestruck silence settled over the mob. The Doctor looked mildly miffed for a moment. "Never mind her –" Maggi began.

"Oh, shut up a minute, Jalovitch!" Kaz bellowed.

Riz nudged Rose. "You've become a bit of a hero since you've gone."

"Speak to them," Chloe urged.

"All right, you lot," Rose began uncertainly. Having any kind of control over a mob made her feel deeply uncomfortable. "You've got to calm it down a bit, yeah? These monster things are dangerous – I know, believe me. And you won't have the element of surprise anymore."

"It's not the Blathereen themselves you need to destroy, anyway," the Doctor added, and this time, the crowd stayed quiet. "It's their technology. You're on Justice Delta right now, the nerve centre of all Justicia. Once, the buildings here were filled with people. Now they're stuffed full of alien computers, working out how to end all life on –"

"Destroy the buildings!" someone yelled impatiently. "Let's do it!"

"Wait a minute!" Rose shouted.

"Yeah, Rose is talking!" Kaz bellowed.

Rose turned to Dennel. "You know how to do in buildings properly, don't you? Fire boy."

He nodded, his eyes shining. "I can do this, Rose. I can do this."

"When Dennel was your block-walker, he listened to you when you had problems," Rose told the mob. "Well, now we've all got problems, and you've got to listen to him. He'll show you how to torch every building here, but you have to do as he says, yeah? No offence, Maggi…" She trailed off. "Where is Maggi?"

The girl had gone.

"Who needs her, anyway?" Riz said. "We got Rose now."

"Sorry." The Doctor put his arm round her. "We need her more than you do."

"You've got Kaz," said Rose. "And Dennel."

Dennel gave Rose something, a lighter. "Something to think of me by," he said.

"Won't you need it?"

"Nah." He shook his head and pulled a handful of tacky plastic lighters from his pocket. "I don't smoke and chocolate gives me a rash. What else do I have to spend my block-walker's wages on?"

She grinned. "I'll see you again."

He kissed her awkwardly on the cheek and turned to the mob. "All right, let's do it!" He and Kaz ran off to lead the mob onwards.

"And look after yourselves!" Rose added.

"I'll keep an eye on them," Riz promised. She squeezed Rose's hand – and pressed a big kiss on Robsen's lips – before dashing off after the crowd.

"A boyfriend _and_ a girlfriend, Rosie?" the redhead teased, grinning at the other woman's blush. "Didn't know you had it in you."

"Madness," said Robsen, wiping his lips. "All madness." Turning, Chloe saw that Flowers was looking at the broken bodies of the Blathereen at the foot of the forest.

"I do hope Dram and Ecktosca avoid that mob," she said.

"A couple of Slitheen con-merchants we know," the Doctor explained to the others.

"Rather nice if you avoid the fact that they kidnapped me whilst trying to escape after the Doctor and I were separated," she added, barely noticing Flowers's flinch.

"I know they're wicked," Flowers sighed, "but I wouldn't wish that on anybody."

"Me neither. But if we don't get on with the job in hand, there'll be more death and destruction than you can imagine. We have to get back to the SCAT-house."

"You've got a gravity amplifier to dismantle," Rose agreed.

The Doctor stared. "How'd you know?"

Flowers was impressed. "You really are a genius!"

"No, we just earwigged on your little meeting with the big Blathereen. Used to do it all the time when Chloe had her sessions with Mr. Smith." She shrugged, making the redhead sigh and make a mental note to try and catch the blonde next time 11 came to visit. "Well, if you have to be stuck inside a monitoring platform…"

Robsen looked worried. "Did that thing in charge get out of the building, Doctor? Can it do all it says?"

"We have to make sure it can't. Can you show me the warp-hole you came through?"

"Yeah, we can follow the trail cut by the capsule," said Rose. "This way!"

* * *

By the time they reached the clearing, Flowers was looking rough, but she went green as they came across the first bodies that had been forced through. Chloe looked on in sadness, knowing that no matter what, she wouldn't've been able to save them. The redhead paused, allowing the human to walk up to her.

"Are you alright?" she asked quietly.

"How are you not bothered?" the other woman replied.

"I am," she shrugged. "I'm just good at not showing it, cause if I show it, the Doctor and Rose'll get distracted, and then where would we be? 'Course, Rose can't show she's bothered either, cause then it'll definitely distract the Doctor, and if the Doctor shows any sign of something is wrong, well, most of the times, his companions think it's got to do with them and then they'll get bothered even more."

"Sounds harsh,"

"It is. He wants us to depend on him, to tell him what wrong, yet he is unable to do the same, because if there's a chance he pauses, if he blinks, they might be gone and then whose fault would it be?"

"Not his," Flowers immediately said, making Chloe grin bitterly.

"If you hadn't imprisoned anyone, he'd probably offer you a thank-you trip," she told her before her smile fell. "And I'm afraid, in the Doctor's mind, it would be his fault, cause we're under his protection. Guilt Complex a galaxy-wide, that one."

"So, this warp-hole can take us to anywhere in Justicia?' Rose said. 'Back to where we left the TARDIS?"

"Hope so. Later."

"How did those borstal kids get through?" Flowers asked. "The warp-holes can only be primed by natives of Raxacoricofallapatorius, remember?"

Rose looked at her. "And Riz said that the Blathereen inside Blanc and the Governor were killed. So how did Maggi lead them here?"

"That's easy to explain." They turned to find that Maggi had entered the clearing. And just behind her –

"Look out!" Robsen shouted. "More of those things!"

Rose grabbed the Doctor's arm. 'Do we run for it?'

"It's all right," said the Doctor. "At least, I think it is."

"Ecktosca! Dram! You two brilliant bastards." Chloe beamed. "So you _did_ make it out! I'm assuming Maggi is the one who was going to help you escape then? Another member of your family?" That, of course, meant that someone had skinned that poor girl.

Ecktosca nodded his dry, blackened head. "Our dear aunt," With surprising dexterity, he dragged a silver zip across Maggi's forehead. Tiny birds clattered from the trees as a now-familiar blue electric light crackled across the clearing from the girl's oddly immo-bile face.

Robsen stared in horror. "Oh, my God…"

"Their aunt," croaked Flowers. " _Another_ Slitheen."

"I was wondering how come Maggi had changed so much," said Rose sadly.

"More than you realised," the Doctor agreed.

The Slitheen finished stripping off its human skin and stood before them, panting and sweaty. "That thing was a tight squeeze," she said, turning to Ecktosca and Dram. "Now have one yourself?" And she gathered them to her in a warm and sticky embrace. "Come to your auntie Callis."

"'Scuse me?' the Doctor called. 'How'd you get here?"

Callis Fel Fotch opened her claw to reveal what looked to be an ornate gold brooch. Chloe bit back a grin as she realized where it was from. "A local teleport device. Very handy. I can use it to pop up here, there and everywhere."

"Remember, we told you we had help coming!" said Dram triumphantly, making the redhead nod.

The Doctor shook his head. "I meant how did you get past Justicia's defences, into the borstal and that poor girl's body and. . . well, here."

"With stealth, ingenuity and cunning," said Callis modestly. "I hid on a passing space-wreck, teleported across to the Blathereen mothership, disguised myself as one of them, got myself sent to Justice Gamma – where I discovered they actually have the most fabulous shops! – and then I –"

"Never mind! Thanks anyway." The Doctor turned back to scrutinise the warp-hole platform.

"Why'd you kill Maggi?" Rose demanded.

"She was the right size for my fuller figure," said Callis, striking a sultry pose, "and she had the right contacts. I knew it would take a 188 small army to help me liberate my nephews, and that borstal rabble fitted the bill admirably. But if I showed off my true self…"

"So you used that teleport thing to pop up wherever you needed to," Robsen deduced. Callis sniggered.

"Yes, and I used her warp-hole to reach Justice Prime. But I was too late. The warp-log showed that the last several outgoing journeys had been to Justice Delta."

Dram frowned. "What warp-log?"

"It's hidden in the tree trunk!"

"And this," Chloe said, stepping forward and giving everyone a pointed look. "Isn't getting us to where we need to be. We need to get to Don Acro and stop him before he can start the program."

"Or you can clear off if you want. Cut your losses, see ya." The Doctor waggled his fingers in farewell. "But if Don Arco wins today, the Blathereen will lord it over you forever."

The Slitheen looked at each other. "Oh, all right then," sighed Ecktosca.

"Good." The Doctor nodded, and kicked the black disc. "Then set that thing for the SCAT-house. I can't figure it out."

Callis had a go, muttering under her breath.

"Can you trust them?" asked Rose.

"Don't have a choice," the Doctor admitted. He turned to Flowers. "You know we've got to destroy everything you've worked for?"

"Let's just get on with it," she said, making Chloe clap her on the back.

"Warp-hole is primed and ready," Callis announced sourly.

"Then let's finish this," the Doctor said. "One way or another, this is gonna be the final showdown."

"Geronimo," Chloe murmured, channelling 11 and jumping onto the platform.

* * *

Outside the workshop door, Chloe was on one side with Flowers while Rose and the Doctor were on the other side, all of their faces gloomy from what they heard.

"Sounds like they're almost ready to go," Flowers said.

"I might have known they wouldn't stop to fix the damage on Delta first," the Doctor complained. "They're like kids at Christmas. Can't wait to play with the new toy, even if they break it cos they've not read the instructions first."

"You'd be the same," Rose retorted.

"True. But today I'm the one who sticks that toy back in its box."

"But it sounds like there're loads of them in there," whispered Flowers. "You can't just walk in."

"Can't I?"

"No." Flowers gestured to a red light to the side of the doors. "For a start, she's locked the vault from the inside."

Rose frowned. "Doors that lock from the inside – in a prison?"

"In an emergency, the Consul can use a special code to seal herself in any room. For her own protection."

"Well, this is an emergency all right." The Doctor pulled out the sonic screwdriver, but it barely produced a glow. "And that's not going to help us. So what can we do? How do we get them out?"

"Got any bombs?" Chloe wondered.

"No," said Flowers flatly.

"Should I just," the redhead made a ripping motion that made Flowers look at her in confusion while the Doctor's face turned thoughtful for half a second before shaking his head as well.

"Tearing the door off might make them activate it faster," he answered, and she backed down from that idea.

"We could wait for the other Slitheen to sabotage that gravity warp thingie," Rose offered.

"There's a chance Justicia could move, even if that's out of action," said the Doctor. "Only with even worse results."

Flowers nodded. "The gravity network would be left unstable. The second they move through the portal, every planet in Justicia could be sent spinning off into outer space – or into a rip in the fabric of space, never to be seen again."

Rose looked at them in alarm. "Then shouldn't we tell the Slitheen to stop until we've nobbled Don Arco?"

"Then they'll use Justicia to destroy some other solar system, and then another." The Doctor shook his head. "No way."

"So we need a distraction." Rose reached into her pocket and produced Dennel's lighter. "We could set off the fire alarms! That might get the guards out of there at least."

Flowers shook her head. "Any fire is neutralised locally by the auto-sprinklers."

"Fire," whispered the Doctor. "I wonder…" He turned to Flowers. "Distraction time. Take Rose, and get off to the systems hub. I need zero gravity again. Just around this section."

"Don't tell me we're going into the blog holes again," Chloe complained.

"Never mind that now." He grinned. "Everyone wearing watches? Give me fifteen minutes, then hit it."

Rose looked at the Doctor. "What are you up to?"

"Taking risks. Pushing my luck. The usual," he told her, taking Chloe by the hand. "But first, we're going to the solar workshops. See you soon!"

"You'd better," Rose threatened before setting off after Flowers.

* * *

"What are we doing?" She asked as the rushed into the workshop.

"They created a compression field that could contain some of a star's solar flares, right? Has to be coming from a satellite. What would you guess the estimated range would be?" He had a gravometer and was inputting data, so she quickly went to a couple of the desks, the alien languages not making any sense to her.

"I don't know," she admitted. "Maybe 100 million miles? That's big enough to surround a sun but not get a planet, right?"

She watched as he inputted the data and then frowned. "That may not be enough," he said.

"Do you want me to try and get Dram or Ecktosca?" she asked.

"No time. Only ten minutes left. We have to try."

* * *

She did her best to keep up with the instructions the Doctor was listing out, but her mind was swimming as the alien squiggles kept coming up. After a few moments, she closed her eyes and then opened them at the diagram that was being shown.

"Doctor, am I meant to be changing the direction of this?" She called.

"Yes, but we don't have the range," he replied, thumping a fist onto the controls in front of him. "We need to boost it somehow."

Chloe glanced around the room before her eyes settled on the floor. "What about the gravity?"

"Yes!" She barely had a moment to comprehend what was happening as the Doctor leaned over and kissed her directly on the forehead, going to a console beside her and pulling up a screen full of complex equations. "I can feed the energy through from here… but we won't be able to get any of it until Don Arco hits the go button."

"Suits me fine," she told him. "We've got six minutes, what can I do?"

"Stand there and be fantastic," she huffed, but went to lean against the nearby wall, watching as he did all sorts of things before pausing. "Chloe, come here." Stepping forward, she moved beside him, concern rising up as they locked eyes. "I need you to finish these equations. I've got to reach the gravity workshop in time."

"But I don't know what to do," she protested.

"It's just a matter of making connections," he said.

"Doctor, I can't understand it," she told him. That made him pause before fully facing her.

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes," she said without hesitation, but he shook his head.

"I need your full trust, Chloe Nightingale."

"Doctor, I trust you with my life and beyond, now what's going on?"

He stood, hands reaching up. "I'm going to put the information about the language and equations in your head and then remove them when we're done here." Blinking, she nodded, stepping into his hands. They slid up to her temples, and for a second, nothing, and then finally, the information streamed into her brain, making her gasp.

He stepped back, looking at her in concern. "I'm fine," she said, blinking away the now translated numbers. "Go, get to the workshop."

As he left the room, for a split second, it felt as if within her chest, a heart had begun to beat.

* * *

Less than ten seconds before the shift, Chloe finished her job and started to float, causing her to cry out in surprise and scramble to grab the console.

After what felt like forever of floating, she crashed down to the ground. Standing up, she tore off towards where Don Acro and Ermenshrew had been. There was an explosion that shook the hall and smoke got thicker the closer she got.

Skidding into the room, she barely stopped from falling on Rose and the Doctor. "Are you two ok?" She demanded, helping them up. "I'm all done, by the way."

"Great!" The Doctor smiled, clapping her on the arm before looking around. "Wait, where's Ermenshrew gone?"

"Over heee-eeere…" The Doctor stepped forward, peering through the haze. Flanked by three bewildered guards and a technician, Ermenshrew was standing beside the gravity accelerator console. Her claw was hovering over the start button. "We're all charged up," she said, her voice an icy whisper. "Justicia's ready to move on out."

"No," the Doctor said. "Please. Don't do this."

"At last you respect me as you should." She nodded smugly. "Yes, it came to me in a flash. I shouldn't just kill you. I should morally outrage you first! Murder millions of innocent lives just to test my engine's working. Then I should kill you."

"We've destroyed your gravity warp on the planet surface. If you try to move Justicia through space now –"

"Another pathetic bluff, Doctor?"

"I thought you might think that. All right then, let's try a threat." He gestured to the redhead. "Chloe has rejigged the solar flare compressor. It's now aimed at your mothership – it'll crush it to the size of a postage stamp, and the second gravity warp with it!" The said woman internally freaked out. She did _what_?! Externally, however, she kept her calm and crossed her arms.

Ermenshrew shook her head, the smoke eddying around her. "The compressor is in a probe in close orbit around Justicia's suns. It doesn't have the range."

"We've boosted the range – it'll draw on the same energy you'll release by pressing that button!" The Doctor's voice was hoarse, and not just with the smoke.

Chloe spoke up, her voice starting to shake. "Please, Ermenshrew. When you hit that switch, the only lives you'll be taking are those of your own people on board the mothership."

"Pathetic," she said, her claw outstretched.

The Doctor raised his voice. "And there'll be massive feedback into that thing! You'll die too, Ermenshrew. I'm begging you –"

"I will stand no more of these pathetic attempts to deceive me!"

"In that case – everybody out!" the Doctor roared. The Blathereen hit the switch. Rose, the Doctor, and Chloe hit the deck the other side of the doorway.

Nothing happened.

Rose stared in him in horror. "So it was a bluff?"

The Doctor wouldn't look at her, his forehead resting on his arm. "Ask Ermenshrew." Chloe glanced back into the workshop while reaching over and gently touching the Time Lord's leather-clad arm. Ermenshrew was standing there, frozen in fury as a delicate white light started to play around her form. Her skin began to turn translucent, revealing all the mysterious alien organs that beat and pulsed beneath. A scream escaped her twitching lips. Smoke and sparks clouded all around her. Her claw was still gripping the control as both crumbled to ash.

"Doctor, Rose, the feedback," Chloe said. "We're not safe here. I need to get that door closed."

"Wait!" Rose was the one who got up first, slapping a white card in the slot. They watched as the doors began to slowly slide shut, Flowers arriving a few seconds later.

"What happened?" she demanded just as white light had engulfed the workshop and was starting to spill out into the corridor, dissolving the floor. Chloe shielded her eyes. As Ermenshrew's screams reached a pitch surely high enough to break glass, the door slammed home, shutting off the light and sound.

Seconds later, the corridor rocked as an ear-splitting explosion went off in the workshop.

The door bulged outwards as if some enormous bowling ball had smashed into it. The tremors seemed to last for a whole minute, and the ringing in everyone's ears went on for far longer. "It's over," Chloe whispered, her hand starting to go from the Doctor's arm to gently touch his head, but stopping at his shoulder.

The Doctor still laid face down on the floor. Rose sat beside him, placed her hand on his head, ruffled his close-cropped hair. "You did it," she told him.

He rolled over and looked at them, no triumph on his face. "I know," he said.


	12. Before Life Begins (Intermission)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe drops a bombshell and goes home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a poll up on [my fanfiction.net profile](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4459102/), the question being "Which regeneration should be the first one to kiss Chloe in Something Worth While?" You can select up to 2 choices, the answers being from 9 to 13, each with their own problems that come with the regeneration. For 9, it's during Winner Takes All. For 10, it's post-The Waters of Mars. For 11, it's during The Big Bang. For 12, it's post-Oxygen. For 13, it's post-Resolution. Currently, 10 and 11 are in the lead with two votes, followed by 9, 12 and 13 with one vote each. Go vote now! Chapter 13 will be the last chapter published before the poll will get closed! If you're a guest, leave a review with the Doctor in question and it'll get added to the tally!
> 
> I don't have a set update schedule, this interlude is going to be a bit different as I usually update only when half of the next chapter is complete. This chapter is a little intermission leading into Chloe going back home to live through a few important events. Once published, I will be taking a couple days off to determine if I should add the Doctor Who Titain Comics into the odd mix of Episodes and BBC Novels as well as take a small break to rest my fingers.

Chloe sat in the common room, Rose's head on her lap as she listened to what the blonde was telling her. Apparently, during her separation, she had almost been scalped twice, publicly humiliated, forced into solitary confinement before being hunted by Ermenshew's daughter, which was when the Doctor managed to get her enough information to get transferred over. Their shuttle had crashed, and she had been tricked into letting the rest of the Blathereen clan where they were.

"I'm so sorry," the redhead murmured. "You're safe now."

"And what about you?" Rose asked. "What happened on your side of things?"

"They tried separating me from the Doctor almost immediately, but I was able to convince them we had to stay together. Next night, I ended up being kidnapped when the Slitheen brothers made their escape. The Doctor found us and, well, you know the rest of it." The blonde frowned and narrowed her eyes.

"Did it bother you?" Chloe blinked at her question. "Did it bother you, being used by the Doctor like that to compress the ship?"

Pursing her lips, Chloe weighed her options. On one hand, admitting how sick she felt when he said what she had done seemed too tempting, but on the other, she knew he would've done it had he had more time, and part of her was grateful she had finished the connections, not him. "I need to find the Doctor," she said instead, shifting the blonde and standing up. "He had to put some information in me that he promised to take out."

"You're going to answer that next time I see you!" the blonde called as she walked out of the room.

Once she was a few turns away, Chloe glanced up at the ceiling. "Can you take me to the Doctor please, old girl?" With a hum, she followed the flashing lights, not surprised in the least as they led to the console room, where the Doctor was fiddling with his sonic screwdriver. "Doctor," she greeted, making him glance up.

"Chloe," he greeted. "What can I do for you?"

The mantra in her head doubled. _Don't ask about the ship, don't ask about the ship, don't ask, don't ask, don't ask, don't-_ "Why didn't you tell me I was making calculations to crush the mothership?"

She saw him stiffen, if only for a minute, before he shrugged, a bit more guarded than before. "I had hoped they wouldn't try to activate it. Didn't think you'd want to know what you were doing."

"I wouldn't've liked to do it, yes, but I know you always make an offer before doing anything else, so either way, it was their fault the ship got crushed," she said, moving towards the jumpseat. "I just would've liked a tiny warning, that's all."

"I'll remember that." he seemed to be done with whatever he had been doing to the sonic, instead turning around and facing her, leaning up against the console and giving her tone of those heart-melting smiles at full force... "So, where do you want to go to next?"

She didn't think her heart could take this much up and down, because as much as she wanted to stay - _god_ _,_ she wanted to stay forever and never look back - she had to keep the timeline intact. So, rather than tell him, she just smiled, perhaps a bit bitterly, and tapped her head. "The knowledge, Doctor." she reminded him quietly.

"Ah, right." he stepped forward, ready to raise his hands, but paused. "What's that look for?"

"How difficult is it for you to lock away your memories?" she asked, twisting on her fingers.

"It depends on how willing of letting them go I am," he answered. "What's this for again?"

"I…" she paused, looked down, took a deep breath and then looked him square in the eyes. "I want you to look at two of my memories. They're about you. Your past and… your future."

"Knowing your future is dangerous," he warned, making her laugh and shake her head.

"Even if you already have the memories? I myself can't trigger them, but… I just…" she trailed off and buried her hands into her hair. "God, y'know what, just forget it. It was a stupid thing to ask." When he didn't say anything, she risked looking up.

His face was guarded, but thoughtful. "You say I already have the memories you're wanting to show me?"

"Well… just the one set, yes," she said. "The other… ties into it. A lot. And at the end of the first one, you'll want to see the second one."

"Fine, one sentence, less than ten words, why should I look?"

She glanced up at the TARDIS's ceiling, who hummed encouragingly before speaking carefully. "Gallifrey never fell on the final day."

"That's impossible." the Doctor argued, sounding gobsmacked and then rightfully and truly angry. "I pushed the button, I heard their screams! I watched them burn!"

"And I saw differently!" She snapped back, standing up and poking his chest, right between his hearts. "I saw you carrying the Moment away from the TARDIS, away from the Capital. You placed it down in the barn you used to sleep in whenever you cried as a boy. You tried activating it right then, but the Interface stopped you. The Moment pulled you from the lock and showed you exactly what you needed to know so that rather than destroy your own kind, you were able to save them."

"Then your information is wrong. It's all a fakeout." he growled, grabbing her hand tightly and squeezing, making her face scrunch up in pain for the briefest of seconds. "You've stalked Jackie and Rose, made them like you, manipulated them into trusting you, and now you're trying to do the same to me? I should never let you return to your own time."

_Touch telepath,_ she quickly realized and, hopefully before he had realized what she planned, thought of all the pain and hope she had felt during the 50th anniversary episode. All the giddiness of the 13 Doctors being in one place and the realization that Gallifrey would be coming back in 12's episodes. Stumbling back, the Doctor let her go as he fell. "Tell me, Doctor," she snarled, rubbing her wrist. "Did _any_ of that feel fake?" When he didn't reply, concern started to leak through her anger. "Doctor?"

Kneeling beside him, she was shocked to see tears in his eyes as he stared into nothing before she wanted to scream. The Doctor very obviously had PTSD, there was no doubt about it, and then there she went, very directly triggering it despite having seen the signs. Settling down across from him, she put her chin on her knees and waited.

After three minutes, he slowly began to snap out of it, his eyes immediately finding her. "You're still here," he said, making her nod. "Why?"

"It was my fault-"

"No, why didn't the Moment stop me?"

_Oh…_ "She did, Doctor," Chloe answered. "She stopped you in all the ways that mattered."

" _She_?"

"The interface was female," the redhead shrugged, unsure of what to say.

"What…" he trailed off, but this time, she could hear the rest of the question.

"The Moment took your Tenth and Eleventh regenerations, as well as the latter's companions, and introduced you to them. To show you what you would become, should you push the button. You watched them stop an invasion that started with Elizabeth the First, but before you could press the button, they appeared. The Moment, she showed you the people you were about to burn, to destroy to save the universe…" she trailed off before reaching forward and offering her hand, so very relieved when he took it. Focusing calming emotions as she squeezed his hand. When he squeezed back, she continued. "The companion, it was her pleading that made you think of the idea.

"'Cup-o-soup', you called it. You sent a call to all your regenerations, past and future, and with thirteen, Type 40 TARDISes, you were able to lock Gallifrey into a pocket dimension just as the Daleks started to fire."

"They destroyed themselves." the Doctor whispered in amazement. "My people are alive?"

"You go there, in your twelfth regeneration. You find it, and the people of Gallifrey remember what you did for them. They remember, Doctor, and they stand beside you." Reaching up, she found herself cupping his face with her free hand, heart absolutely melting at the amazement and pure joy on his face. A question from days prior popped up in her head, making her grin softly. "You asked me a couple days ago why this face is the one of my favorites. You are kind and soulful. You carry the weight of the worlds that were lost in the war, yet you put on a brave face and smile when there's someone scared. You do your best to ensure everyone lives, and when they don't, you remember them. You are a good man, Doctor, and in my opinion, you are the living definition of your oath."

For a second, she thought she had gone too far, went too deep and revealed too much of her fangirl side, but then he let out this choked, chirp like noise and pulled her into a hug, burying his face into the crook of her neck.

"Oh, Doctor," she sighed, hugging him back and resting her chin on his shoulder. After the number of hugs from him she had gotten, it was safe to say it was a tie between 9 and 12 on who had the best hug. After a few moments, he pulled away, and she made no note of the tears he wiped away. He stood and pulled her up as well, tugging her behind him as he walked through the halls, stopping at a door with familiar golden swirls. He opened the door, revealing a little sitting area, where he sat down on the couch in front of a fireplace.

"I don't want to forget," he said after she settled down beside him, his blue eyes wide and so full of sadness, she wanted to tell him that, just this once, he didn't have to. Instead, she squeezed their still linked hands and smiled bitterly.

"I know," she said. "But the timelines are strict in regards to this. I'm sorry, Doctor." He swallowed, but nodded, removing his hand and close his eyes. She wasn't sure how to feel now, about him knowing he wasn't alone anymore but having to lock the memories away anyways. Bittersweet, perhaps. She wasn't sure how'd she explain the gap in his memory, and part of her was cursing herself for even telling him in the first place, but a larger part was glad that, even though he had to forget it almost immediately, the 9th Doctor knew that his people survived.

After a few minutes, the Doctor opened his eyes and frowned, glancing around before looking at her. "I just locked some memories away,"

"Timelines," she replied, voice thick. "The information, Doctor. You promised to remove it once we were finished with the Blathereen."

"Right, just a mo' then," She couldn't stop her small flinch as he reached for her again, and she knew he saw it, but thankfully, he didn't ask about it.

Once she could feel him start removing stuff about Raxacoricofallapatorius, she reached up, hand touching his own and he paused, allowing her to lock away the _Boom Town_ information as she flashed images from _Aliens of London_ and _World War Three_. He gave a hum, placing back some of the information that had been remembered that day, taking the rest of the information away, leaving her lightheaded as he pulled back.

"You ok?" he asked, and she opened her eyes, nodding slowly. "Fantastic. Where to-" he cut himself off, eyes on her hand that was touching his, but before she could remove it, he gently tugged on her arm, pulling it into her line of sight.

There, on her wrist, was a dark purple bruise the shape of the Doctor's hand. "Huh. Must've happened when we were running for our lives," she lied, but he shook his head.

"This happened within the last hour." the Time Lord denied. "I hurt you."

"Doctor, I'm constantly bruising myself, it's really nothing," she said.

"You don't understand; as a construct, only two things can properly hurt you. Other Constructs and Time Lords." Oh, damn, hello guilt streak. She sighed, shaking her head and pulling her hand away.

"Doctor, I know you hadn't meant to do this on purpose, that's why I didn't tell you." She stood, glancing around the sitting room, which was filled with small bookcases, a few workbenches, and a messy desk. There was a door aside from the one they had entered from, and she had a feeling that it led to his bedroom. "Now, I'm going to say this one time only: I don't hate you, and while as much as I'd love to stay, to travel with you and Rose, I can't, not yet. I have to get back to 2000 so I can keep the timeline in one piece."

He nodded once and left the room, the redhead watching him go sadly.

* * *

Barely five minutes had passed for the world since the Doctor and Rose had taken Chloe from 2000, but as the redhead stepped into her apartment, dressed in her old clothes, she stared at the pristine room, unsure of what to do, for she felt like a stranger in her own house.

"So this is it then," Rose murmured, making Chloe shoot her a curious look. "The next time I'll see you, you… won't be the same."

"What do you mean?" she asked before raising her hands. "No, don't… don't tell me. Timelines might implode." she half-joked, though her mind was running a mile a minute. The blonde grinned back before pulling her into a hug.

"See ya," she murmured before stepping into the TARDIS.

There was an awkward air as she felt the Doctor's eyes on her, making her shift. "I just… thank you, Doctor." she risked glancing up and smiling at his confused face.

"For what?" he asked, making her shrug.

"The adventures, the memories. Just… being there in general I guess? You've saved the world so many times, it just feels right to say it." He grinned at this, stepping into the TARDIS, the door shutting behind him.

As the TARDIS made her traditional take-off sound, the redhead couldn't look away, only collapsing after it was gone.

* * *

The 13th Doctor stopped by an hour later, making Chloe some hot chocolate and all but wrapping her in her favorite throw blanket. "You're in need of a pick-me-up," she said, fingers braiding random bits of her curly hair. "How about a program, yeah? Your tastes are always changing, so what's your favorite show?"

Chloe wanted to answer truthfully and say _Doctor Who_ , but instead, she shook her head. "Dunno," she mumbled. "Supernatural? Maybe Star Trek?"

"Ha, Star Trek," the Doctor laughed. "Incorrect, but it led to so many modern advancements, I'll give it a pass."

"I don't have any of the episodes," she reminded her. "And DVDs won't exist until 2004. The most I have are the Star Trek movies, and even then…"

"Well, we'll just have to-" she stopped, glancing at the door before looking back at the redhead. "Right, that's a no go. Tell you what, wait here for just a second? One little second?"

Chloe shifted but nodded, and the blonde quickly left. Quickly moving, she set the drink on the coffee table before going into her room, or, rather, more specifically, her closet. Her goal was the small shoebox jammed into the corner. Pulling it out, she had a series of notebooks, each labeled for the different regenerations. Flipping to 9's, she reached to the blank page past _The Parting of Ways_ and began to write.

She wrote about Repple and Aske. How Wyse tricked them all and how she hated feeling so blind. She wrote about what it felt like, questioning one's humanity, on what it meant to be human.

She wrote about Callis, Ecktosca, and Dram and how only Dram was the sole survivor of their heist. She wrote about Flowers, and how the woman was halting Justica once and for all, and what her involvement in it meant for the history books.

She wrote about telling the Doctor, fresh from the Time War, about Gallifrey and the events that took place during _The_ _Day of the Doctor_. She wrote how scared she was at first before she had gotten so angry; angry at herself and angry at the universe.

Most importantly, she wrote about a crippling realization that having knowledge of what was to come meant that everything you thought you knew was skewed. Sure, she could stop Jamie sooner, but then Jack wouldn't know any life better than being a Con-Man and a Time Agent. That wasn't even mentioning how Jack would respond to her (well, she had a hint), or how the Doctor would react to not one, but two companions in danger because of the man. The future was always in flux, and _she was **not** necessary_ _._ She wasn't Rose Tyler. She wasn't Martha or Donna and she was certainly no River Song.

Chloe Nightingale was no doubt just a footnote in the Doctor's story, one of many to come.


	13. Life Goes On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little look into what a session looks like

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm actually posting this in the middle of my break for one reason: I have a tie-breaker poll up on [my fanfiction.net profile](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4459102/). Same question, however, there's now a set chapter (16) and only two choices: 11 during The Big Bang vs 10 post-The Waters of Mars. I ask that everyone please go onto my desktop profile and vote! If you're reading as a guest, you can leave a comment saying which one you'd prefer!
> 
> As a note: the chapters between adventures might vary in length depending on my mood. Currently, the chapters between the intermission and Rose are going to vary between 1,000 to 3,000 words. To help with figuring out how long that is: most of the chapters have been between 4,800 and 5,600 words so far.
> 
> On a happier note: I've decided to do the Titan comics! I couldn't find anywhere for the IDW or DWM/DWA comics, sadly, so for now it'll just be the Titan series. For 9, all the comics take place after Jack joins Team TARDIS, but it's more 9 content and from what I've read, it helps build the universe so much. (Plus the first mini-series is just, like, full of 9 angst)

In 2001, Chloe closed the door behind 10, her smile falling as she recalled what they had talked about. She knew little about the spinoff series, but she recognized the events of what happened almost as soon as he started off with "Sarah Jane got married! Well, almost, but she managed to call it off last minute."

She knew that, in her world, there had been a few comics between that mini-short and _The Waters of Mars_ , but the next time she'd see 10, it would no doubt be after Captain Brooke killed herself to keep the timeline intact. Some twisted part of her mind wondered what would happen to her if she tried to confront Victorious; would the Doctor turn into Valeyard rather than 11?

In any case, the Doctor had been so surprised at her appearance, mainly at her curly hair. Every so often, she catch him reaching out before stopping, looking torn. She wanted to ask, always curious about why every version past a certain time frame was so obsessed with her hair, but decided against it, instead throwing her legs over his and ignoring his shocked look.

"We shared a rather tiny bed on Justica." she reminded him before glancing away and started to remove her legs. "Sorry, I overstepped, didn't I?"

He raised an eyebrow and just put her legs back. "Clo, we're close friends. You couldn't do a thing to make me think otherwise."

But now he was gone, and she dragged the journals back out into the open, reading and then rereading _The Waters of Mars_ notes over and over again. It had to happen, she realized the more she looked at it. Bowie Base One was what sparked the Doctor to pick up the comic companions for their couple of trips before he did _The Day of the Doctor_ and then _The End of Time_.

Thinking back to his words, the redhead placed the journal against her chest and lowered her head.

* * *

"So there's this cute senior,"

For a second, Chloe could remember the day she introduced Andrew to her family rather clearly before she violently shook her head. That tone was trouble, and trouble with Rose at this age meant… She turned around to look at her sharply. "Name and age," she demanded, making the brunette laugh, her hair having darkened over the years. Sometime soon, she'd start doing the peroxide blonde Chloe was familiar with, but for now, she had her natural hair color.

"Jimmy Stone, 19, almost 20," she replied, her trademark grin showing. "Mum's met him and approves."

Chloe stared at the teen in horror, spatula lowering. She knew Rose had run away at _16_ , but for her to be considering it at _15_ … "Don't let boys distract you from school." even her own words sounded weak to her, but Rose didn't pick up on it, instead moving to do her Algebra homework.

"God, you sound just like mum's mate Shareen."

"I mean it Rose." she snapped. "If that boy asks you to do anything, _anything_ _,_ you say no and you leg it back home."

"Why're you so defensive about this?" Rose demanded, standing up.

"Because when I was seventeen, I had a boyfriend. He was about to be a senior in college, and he seemed so sweet and didn't care that I was some child genius. I thought he saw _me_ _._ We even moved in together."

That seemed to catch the teen's attention. "Where is he now?" she asked, hazel eyes narrowing.

"In jail, I expect," she sniffed. "I got away before he could really do anything,"

"What was his name?"

"I don't want to talk about _him_ , Rose, I want to talk about the skeezy, almost 20-year-old who seems to think it's ok to date someone who _only_ just turned _15_."

"He's not skeezy!" Rose protested. "He's part of a band!"

"That just makes everything worse," Chloe muttered, turning back to the cupcake batter, having lost her interest in baking.

A moment later, there was a knock, making her look at the clock and sigh. "Mr. Peter?" Rose asked, making the redhead nod. "I'll go let him in."

With a tight smile and nod, the redhead didn't even blink as 12 walked in, Clara right behind him. "Hello you two," she greeted, getting the scooper and starting to dish out the batter. "You're four hours late."

"He's a rubbish driver," Clara grumbled, trying to take a swipe at the batter.

"I will hit you with a spoon," she threatened, making the brunette laugh. "Anyways, _Peter_ ," she stressed, glancing at Rose. "Let me get these into the oven and then we'll start, yeah?"

* * *

12, she decided later, was a sarcastic little shit when he had to wait. He also kept trying to steal the batter despite her living up to her threat of the wooden spoon. Part of her wondered if it was because Rose kept laughing, but she could see the tension between the Doctor and Clara, who thankfully offered to stay with Rose and help her out with some of her homework.

"You gonna tell me why Clara looks like a second from ripping your head off?" She asked once she made sure that the second bedroom's door, which she had converted into a small study, was completely shut. She had added some soundproof padding to the walls that would hopefully stop Rose's eavesdropping on sessions.

"Her boyfriend is a _PE_ teacher," he replied and almost immediately she felt her mood sour as she walked across the room to sit in her usual chair. "And now you're making the same face as before!"

"He's a math teacher, Doctor," she said. "And I'll have you know him going into the military was _not_ his fault."

"Of course it was his fault; he chose it and now he's a PE teacher."

Chloe took a deep breath and closed her eyes, pinching her nose. "Doctor, tell me, am I a living therapist or a useless construct?"

He looked genuinely confused at her question. "You're a therapist,"

"But yet, my past tells me that I'm a construct unable to fulfill its purpose." He stood up at this, grabbing her shoulders and leaning down.

"You're not useless," he told her.

"But my past-"

"Your past doesn't define you!"

"So why should Danny Pink's past define him?"

The Doctor reared back as if he had been slapped. "Because he's a soldier,"

"And I'm a construct unable to fulfill its purpose," she countered, and he looked _torn_.

"You're…" he trailed off as she raised an eyebrow. "I hate it when you do this," he grumbled.

"What, apply logic to everything? Our past doesn't define us, Doctor. Do not take it out on Clara and Danny." He turned away, then back, raising one finger.

"Fine, I'll play nice with PE-"

" _Doctor_ _,_ " Chloe chided.

"I'll play nice with _Maths_ teacher," he corrected, voice petulant. "But only if you never refer to yourself as useless ever again."

"Deal," she agreed. "Who knows, maybe you'll find that you like Mr. Pink more than you thought you would." He went to say something, but she raised a finger, glancing at the door. "You two can stop eavesdropping now!" She called out in a louder tone, and for a second, she thought she was wrong, but then the door handle wiggled and a sheepish Rose crept in, Clara behind her.

"'M sorry," the younger brunette said.

"These sessions are supposed to be confidential, Rose. The government would have my head if they found out how much I knew." The teen's hazel eyes widened in fear… as did Clara's brown eyes, making her mentally grown. "Now, Clara, _Peter_ , you two are going to sit in here and talk like the reasonable you are, otherwise you aren't getting any of my cupcakes."

Ushering Rose out of the room and closing the door behind her, they went back into the kitchen where she found 11 perfectly baked cupcakes… and one balled up cup.

" _Clara Oswald, I'm going to kill you!_ "

* * *

She hadn't even realized Clara might've talked to Rose about boy troubles until there was a frantic pounding at her door at 2 am. Jackie had been frantic and crying, begging for the redhead if she had Rose for the night or if she knew where she had went. She pulled the frantic woman inside before grabbing her phone and punching in a familiar number.

"Pick up," she muttered. "Please, for the love of god, have him pick up."

" _'Lo?_ " A woman's groggy voice answered, and for a second she was stunned before realizing that this was no doubt her future self.

"Rose Tyler is missing." she said quietly, and there was a sharp intake from the other side. "Get Clara's ass back here right the fuck now,"


	14. Torchwood and Jimmy Stone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe gets a job and finds Rose...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a tie-breaker poll up on [my fanfiction.net profile](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4459102/). Same question, however, there's now a set chapter (16) and only two choices: 11 during The Big Bang vs 10 post-The Waters of Mars. I ask that everyone please go onto my desktop profile and vote! If you're reading as a guest, you can leave a comment saying which one you'd prefer! When chapter 15 is published, the poll will be closed and the winner will kiss Chloe in chapter 16. So far, 10 has one vote and 11 has zero votes.
> 
> As a note: the chapters between adventures might vary in length depending on my mood. The chapters might vary between 1,000 to 3,000 words. To help with figuring out how long that is: most of the chapters have been between 4,800 and 5,600 words so far.

Less than a week after Rose Marion Tyler, age 15, went missing, Chloe received a rather peculiar note, telling her to go to Cardiff.

It was peculiar in the sense that it had been written in 1879 by one Queen Victoria. The person who had delivered it had to be escorted, and even then they seemed shocked when she answered the door. The letter wasn't long, though it was hard to read due to the cursive and having been written over a century ago. From the geist of it, she had been truthful with the Queen from the beginning, explaining everything, even going as far as to do something (it was scribbled out with 10's writing of _spoilers_ ) and in that, she had been knighted, but not banished. She had asked that the queen write a letter to the future Torchwood, explaining that Chloe Marisol Nightingale was not to be harmed in any way and that should the Doctor ever be around, she should always be near for she was the only one who could contain his madness.

No, seriously, those were 100% the queen's words.

So, after printing out a stack of missing person fliers, she took a cab down to Cardiff and began handing them out while making her way down to the Torchwood 3 fountain. Even from the distance, she could see Jack talking to someone, another male, who was gesturing a bit angrily. Making sure her shirt was tucked into her pants and her flats were securely on, the redhead marched her way towards them.

"-don't care what you say, she will _never_ make it."

"Am I interrupting something?" She asked, making the man stiffen while Jack beamed at her.

"None of your business lady," the man snapped, making her glance over at him again.

"I'm afraid when it pertains to Torchwood, it is my business." She gave Jack the letter, who read it with an impossibly wider grin. "So are you going to invite me down or am I going to have to pull rank?" She joked.

"For you?" Jack said back, handing her the paper back before his grin turned into something akin to a flirty one. "It would be my pleasure."

She laughed, shaking her head. The unknown man spoke up. "Who the hell are you anyway?"

"Chloe Nightingale. Apparently I'm a co-founder of Torchwood, as stated by Queen Victoria herself," she answered with a shrug. "Time travel has always been a bit wonky." She turned away from him, back towards Jack, and smiled a bit sadly. "Rose is missing, Jack. May I-"

"Of course," he answered immediately, placing a hand on the small of her back and activating the elevator. She had only seen the Torchwood 3 hub through the television, so seeing it in person, it made her breath catch. She could see Tosh and Owen arguing over something, as well as Suzie Costello working on some paperwork, but they all turned their gaze onto her as she stepped off the platform.

"A new recruit?" Owen groaned.

"No, our boss."

She could see the instant negative effect and did her best to make it seem like she wasn't a horrid person like Yvonne. "I'm not officially Torchwood, so just ignore me and we'll be ok," she said with a small wave. "My name is Chloe and I'm a therapist."

"She's _The Doctor's_ therapist," Jack stressed, making her roll her eyes.

"Yes, but currently in the timeline he's only had a couple of adventures with me, both of them not being very companion friendly," she said. "If Jack has told you anything about me, _do not_ ask me about it. We know each other, but I haven't officially met him yet."

"This is so weird," Tosh said in a perfect mix of awe and disbelief, making Chloe grin at her.

"I agree completely Tosh," the said woman flushed and gave a small grin back before Chloe drug Jack into his office. "Ok, what the _fuck_ _,_ "

"I don't know Chloe," he replied. "But I'm glad you decided to come here."

She scoffed at the idea of being anywhere else. "Do you really think I'd just march up to Torchwood 1 and demand a job there? I hate Yvonne as much as you do right now."

"So you're demanding a job?"

She flushed at his teasing tone, pushing his face away with a finger before waggling it. "Down boy," she joked before her face fell. "I need help finding where Rose went. She's just 15, Jack."

As she was pulled into a tight hug, she could feel his chest rumbling as he spoke. "We'll find her Loey. I promise you we'll find her."

* * *

The guy she didn't recognize turned out to be Sebastian Vaughan. She had let it slip she hadn't recognized him, and how empty it felt without Gwen and Ianto, which lead into Jack doing his best to get as many non-spoiler spoilers he could get.

"I'm just saying, as the leader and your technical boss I can force you to tell me."

She gave him a dirty look at that. "To think I used to think you were _cute_ _,_ " as she said this, the man laughed. "I'm telling you Harkness, _no spoilers_ _._ "

"Not even a tiny, little one?" he had those big blue doe eyes going, and she could feel her resolve crumbling.

"Ianto…" she said slowly. "Makes the best coffee. Gwen… is happily in love and will marry the guy." Jack let out a hum before a teasing look came into his eyes.

" _Marisol_ _,_ huh?"

"Shut up, _Javic_ _,_ " she countered, and he let out a shocked laugh that turned happy.

"Oh, Loey, you are going to be a _wonderful_ addition to Torchwood 3."

"That's the second time you called me Loey! Is it your nickname for me?"

"You said your name so quietly, I only heard 'Loe'," he answered. "And since Doc' had laid claim to Chlo and you didn't like 'Red', it was the next best thing."

She paused for a minute, thinking about it before smiling. "I'm glad," she told him. "Almost everyone back home would call me Red, most… less kind than others. I don't know why the Doctor wouldn't want you calling me Chlo, but I'm glad you have a separate nickname for me." _It makes my wait more bearable_ _,_ she added silently.

* * *

Jackie was rightfully a mess when she got back, and it took her a while to calm her down enough to explain she had gone into 'the office' to push forward Rose's case. She also said it might take a few weeks, but the blonde didn't care, pulling her into a tight hug that would've had her struggling to breathe had she been human.

"Thank you!" she sobbed. "Thank you so much for trying to find my Rose."

* * *

The next time she opened the door at 2 am, a fuming Clara was there, ready to tear into her before she suddenly stopped, looking at the entry table in shock.

"What the fuck did you tell her?" Chloe snarled, pulling the brunette in.

"I-I didn't think-"

"She's _15!_ He's almost _20!_ What part of you _didn't_ realize that the only way that would work would be _running away in the middle of the night?!_ "

"She just said there was a boy… She'll be fine though, right? 'Cause she travels with the Doctor?"

"No, Clara." the redhead's voice dropped in a low tone. "Time is always in flux. This? This right here? This is proof of that. Rose was supposed to run away when she was _16_ and the guy was _20_. Your words? Your exact words? They pushed her over the edge, made her run away a year before she was supposed to! She hadn't even started dating Mickey yet!"

Clara looked like she had been hit as the implications began to come to her. "I changed her timeline," she whispered.

"You changed her timeline," Chloe agreed. "Now, what were your exact words you told her that made her run away with a domestic abuser?"

* * *

In canon, Rose was with Jimmy for six months before she came back home. Here, however, there was no way in hell that she'd let the girl stay with that man for so long.

Which led her to a rather… interesting choice of looking for the girl.

She went to every cafe that might have a live band, every club, and park. In her mind, she knew that by now, Rose would've no doubt already dyed her hair, but her heart was still looking for the small, grinning brunette that laughed at her bad dad jokes.

Finally, one night, she dragged Jackie to one of the pubs and asked about the band playing.

"The Stones?" The bartender asked. "They're decent enough, 'cept for the guitarist. Him an' the lead singer have a thing, but the poor girl is so small. Has the paperwork to be old enough, so not really my problem."

The two shared a look and found a table in one of the corners where it was darkest. The band wouldn't be able to see them, but they'd be able to see the band, and as they shuffled onto the stage, she heard Jackie's choked sob.

There, front and center was a now short-haired, blonde Rose Tyler, who was grinning at the man to her right. Chloe's blood _boiled_ as she realized who it was, and she stood up sharply.

"Rose Marion Tyler!" She yelled, and there was a tiny bit of satisfaction as the girl jolted, turning towards her with wide eyes as she marched her way towards the band. "How _dare_ you run away!"

"Hey, no harassin' the band!" the bartender called, but Jackie quickly took care of him with her sharp tongue

"That's my bleeding fifteen-year-old daughter! You don't get to say anything about harassing when there's a pedophile with her."

"Mum? Chloe? What are you two doing here?" Rose hissed as the redhead finally got to the stage and stepped up, pulling the teen into a sharp hug before she stepped back, hands on her shoulders to look her dead in the eyes.

"You're coming back _home_ _,_ " she told her, tone still sharp. "Did you not realize what running away would do to me? What it would do to your _mother_ _?_ You just vanish at 3 am with no note and, what, you expect her to not look for you? To not cry, and scream, and wonder if her baby girl had been kidnapped and murdered?" In her rant, she didn't see Stone getting closer and closer to her and the blonde.

"You don't understand-" Rose tried.

"You're right, I don't. I don't understand why you'd give up everything for some man who wouldn't be able to provide for anything. I don't know what you thought Clara meant when she said-"

Her rant was cut off as Stone rushed forward the last two steps, slamming into the redhead and causing her to fall off the stage, head clipping a table. Rose, Jackie, and a few other patrons let out shocked screams as she laid, dazed, and Stone grabbed the blonde's wrist, pulling her to the back exit.

The blonde, to her credit, snapped from her shock and tried fighting back as some of the male patrons and even Stone's bandmates jumped up, either rushing towards her or trying to catch the man. Unfortunately, Stone had some smarts with him because he grabbed a beer bottle, smashed it against the counter, and held it to Rose's throat, making everyone freeze.

"We're leaving," he snarled. If there was one thing the redhead had to give to him, it was that he knew how to use his main brain enough, even if the situation was the one she had been hoping wouldn't happen.

She was upset that the one part of canon she needed was never really released, and as she rushed outside after the two in time to see Stone's van colliding headfirst into a semi, part of Chloe wished she had never called out for help that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who might be wondering how long the time between Rose running away and them finding her: it's three months. In canon, as stated before, it took Rose 6 months to go back when she was 16, but her timeline has changed a bit.


	15. Of Hospitals and Realizations (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose's results come in

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Poll is over! It came down to yet another tie, so one of my friends did a coin flip and 10 won.
> 
> A quick trigger warning before we get into this chapter: There are mentions of but very referenced miscarriage at the end of the chapter. I apologize if this might be too much for some readers.

The EMS seemed to take forever to get to the scene, and the redhead, numb to everything, forced Jackie to turn away into her arms as they took Rose out and immediately began to do chest compressions. Once she saw them out the oxygen mask, she pushed Jackie forward as one of the EMTs noticed them.

"She's her mother!" Chloe informed them once they were close enough to see the faint rise and fall of the teen's chest. "Her name is Rose Tyler, she's 15. The man in the car tried kidnapping her after we found her with him three months after having run away from home."

"My Rosie," Jack sobbed, and the redhead sent a pleading look to the closest EMT.

"Follow me, Mrs. Tyler," he said, guiding her into the back of the truck. As the second ambulance and firemen pulled Stone out of the car, she would think back to that moment and feel horrified and disgusted at the happiness, smugness, and relief she felt when they declared him dead on impact, having not worn a seatbelt.

Of course, Rose hadn't been wearing a seatbelt, but she had braced herself, most likely having seen the truck before him. In either case, Chloe was quick to get in her car and follow behind the ambulance carrying the Tylers.

* * *

Jackie, during the three years they had known each other, had written Chloe in as Rose's godmother, allowing her to sit with the elder blonde as they waited in that thick, dreadful silence, Jackie still heaving loud, ugly sobs while Chloe did her best to wipe her silent tears away, the crash, the sickening crunch of the car against the semi repeating in her head, over and over, and all she could think about was how it was so similar to _her_ crash and to _her_ dea-

No, she wasn't going to think about that anymore.

Shaking her head, she glanced at Jackie, gently squeezing their linked hands. "I'm going to try and find a nurse, ok?" she asked, getting a tearful nod. Standing, she noticed no one was at the Nurse's Station, so she continued down the halls.

She was certain that, by now, she should've encountered _someone_ _,_ but she got to the next building and frowned, glancing back, stomach sinking. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out her android phone and hit the speed dial 5, putting it up to her ear and waiting.

What she didn't expect was to hear a familiar ringing from just a hall away. Really, hadn't she put that on 10's mobile as a joke? Why did 13 still have it as her ringtone for her?

" _Chloe?_ " 13 answered, sounding breathless like she was running. " _What's wrong are you ok?_ "

"Doctor," she said, very slowly. "Please tell me you are not currently doing something at Royal Hope Hospital in 2001."

" _Erm,_ " she said, the echo sounding closer. " _I can't,_ "

"Doctor, Rose is in here! Stone just drove her into a semi and she's in surgery! They…" her breath caught as her eyes stung. "He drove her into a semi… oh god, she's… Rose… he..." she was aware of the phone slipping out of her hand as she fell to her knees, hands covering her mouth as she rocked back and forth, shuddering breaths cutting through her sobs.

_Your fault! Your fault, your fault, your faultyourfaultyourfaultyourfault-_

Someone wrapped their arms around her, and as she threw her arms around their neck, she could feel the double heartbeat and let out another choked sob into the Time Lady's neck. She was humming a song and rocking her side to side, not caring that they were awkwardly on the floor.

Chloe heard someone cough and flinched, glancing up to see Yaz, Ryan, and Graham standing around them a bit awkwardly. "H-hello," she greeted, sounding as awful and awkward as they looked. "Should we be running?" Part of her didn't want to move; she just wanted to sit there and mourn. Mourn for what exactly, she didn't know.

"Yes," Yaz said, and Chloe detangled herself from the Doctor, standing on shaky legs. "Are you alright?"

"My… my goddaughter was in a serious abduction turned car accident," she answered, voice cracking, and when the Doctor squeezed her hand, she squeezed it back just as tight. "She's in surgery right now."

"You've never mentioned a goddaughter before," Ryan commented, making her tense up. "And your hair is all curly. Normally you have it straight."

"Spoilers," she told him. "This is my first time officially meeting you three."

"But we've known you-"

"Graham, Chloe sometimes meets people out of order. Your first time meeting her wasn't her first time meeting you." The Doctor interrupted just as a horrible squeal sounded throughout the hospital, making Chloe's heart stop. Silently, she prayed Jackie hadn't heard it as the five turned around and started running through the hallways. They ducked into a staff elevator and the Doctor soniced the door to close just as a weird cross between a weeping angel and a Raxacoricofallapatorian came barrelling at them, the metal doors closing last second.

"What the actual fuck?" she whispered, staring at the blonde in bewilderment. "What fresh hell did I step into?"

"An unfortunate teleport gone wrong," she answered, sending her a cheerful grin. It did nothing to stop her horrified confusion, but it did lessen the guilt and worry. "Just tryin' to get back to the third floor to the teleport."

"You're absolutely mad." she found herself saying, ready to just start to hysterically laugh.

* * *

As it turned out, if the weird mutated creature touched you, you had a 50/50 of turning to stone or becoming Quantum Locked. It's why all the hospital staff outside of those in surgery or had been in the patient rooms were missing. Chloe found this out the hard way as she pushed the Doctor away at the last second, her skin turning grey the second it had touched her. It still clipped the blonde, but she was still normal looking, so in a flash, before the process finished, Chloe had closed her eyes.

When she opened them next, the Doctor was in front of her, grinning from ear to ear and hugged her as soon as she felt her muscles relax. "I've sent someone to talk to Jackie," she said as they pulled apart. She seemed to hesitate about something before putting a hand on her face, causing the redhead to lean into her cool touch. She could feel the Doctor's pinky twirling one of her curls, making her smile slightly. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this."

Chloe shook her head, putting her hand over the Doctor's. "Don't be," she murmured. "I needed the distraction." They stood like that for a couple more minutes before, reluctantly, the redhead stepped back. "I'll see you later," she murmured before starting to walk away, but paused and glanced over her right shoulder. "I think I might straighten my hair for a couple of months. Should I?"

Something on the Time Lady's face flickered; a flash of realization, hope, and… well, she didn't want to label anything. "Oh, Chloe Nightingale," she breathed. "You absolutely should."

* * *

Rose would recover.

She had broken five ribs, a punctured spleen, broken legs, and broken hips as well as glass embedded in her head and upper body. She would have to go to physical therapy and the doctors believed she'd only get roughly 85% of her movement back on her lower body, which upset the redhead something fierce, but nothing could've warned her for what the doctor said next.

"Unfortunately, we couldn't save the baby."

One sentence, six words. They echoed throughout the room as Jackie's hands flew to her mouth and Chloe just stared at the human like he had grown a second head. Rose had been… she had…

"The miscarriage was rough, despite out best efforts to save the fetus, and as a result, Miss Tyler is infertile."

Distantly, she was aware of Jackie looking at her, pleading for her to say something, but the redhead took a step back, and then another one, shaking her head slowly before turning around and sprinting away.

_Unfortunately, we couldn't save the baby…_


	16. *Of Hospitals and Realizations (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Realizations happen ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot this half didn't get updated, I'm so sorry! I've hit a little block writing 11th Hour part 2, but hopefully, it'll be finished and up within the week!
> 
> Note: This chapter has hints of NSFW content and is rated "Lime" on the citrus scale.

Three weeks and one awake Rose later, she found herself in her flat, scissors in hand as she breathed heavily, looking at the reflection in disgust. Her hair, which had gone to the bottom of her shoulder blades, now barely reached her chin. But it wasn’t enough. It didn't look right.

Shaking her head, she spotted her 2001 phone and grabbed it, dialing a number with a sense of grim desperation. " _Chloe?_ " Jackie murmured. " _t's 4 am,_ "

"Please," she begged. "Please come make me look right again."

It only took a few minutes for the blonde to get into her flat, and she was rightfully appalled at the mess the redhead had made in her attempt to find the scissors. "Oh, Chloe, sweetheart, why didn't you say anything?" She said, pulling her into a calming hug. "Let's get you fixed, yeah?"

"Can…" she trailed off, biting her lip. "Can you straighten it?"

"Of course," she murmured, gently pulling her into the Tyler flat. After a few minutes of her sitting at the kitchen table, Jackie sat beside her, looking worried. "What's wrong?"

Chloe took a deep breath. "I… it's just…"

How was she supposed to explain the girl in the reflection had looked just as innocent as she had at 17? That, for once since that day, she couldn't recognize the person who stared back at her?

"It was too similar," she finally whispered. "I looked so much like her; _too_ much like her."

"Who?" Jackie asked. "Your mother?"

Chloe shook her head, stubbornly not looking anywhere but at the table grains. "I was a stupid teenager. I graduated high school, er, secondary early and went to college almost immediately. I was seventeen and there was this cute senior." She knew the blonde froze as she echoed what Rose had said all those weeks ago. "My parents approved of him, but it wasn't enough. He wanted me to run away with him, to leave all my family and friends behind.

"I almost did it. I would've done it, but I heard him talking to one of his frat brothers about how stupid and gullible I was, and how once we were living together, I was gonna be a proper wife, not some upstart democrat who thinks she deserves a college degree. When I broke up with him, he hit me and was arrested for domestic abuse and disturbing the peace." Chloe let out a bitter laugh. "Last I heard, he had become a semi driver."

"Oh, sweetheart," Jackie whispered and she suddenly found herself engulfed in a Tyler hug. "Let's get you cleaned up, yeah? Get you all presentable for those boyfriends and that girlfriend of yours?" She blushed and sputtered, despite her depressive funk.

"I- They do _not_ like me like that!" She protested, making Jackie grin slightly.

"But you like them! Oh, how adorable." She cooked, not at all sounding condescending.

Chloe couldn't find it in herself to deny it.

* * *

She hadn't seen 10 in the weeks Rose was either missing or hospitalized, and while it would've raised concerns, part of her couldn't bring herself to worry much about it, remembering their last interaction and how it was _before_ the Time Lord Victorious. Part of her wondered if she would actually ever see that version of him again, or if he had already regenerated. If he had regenerated… would that mean the next time she’d see the 10th Doctor was when, timeline standpoint, her current Doctor regenerated to him?

In any case, she hadn’t slept since Jackie had straightened her hair three weeks ago, even going as far as buying her own straightener. Something about looking in the mirror and not seeing her curls, it felt… almost right. Of course, not sleeping in three weeks was wreaking havoc in her mind, especially during the nights when she couldn’t stay in the hospital talking to Rose, and the days the Tylers would tell her to go home. She tried going to Torchwood 3, once, but Jack took one look at her and quickly turned her away, just saying it wasn’t time for her to officially start yet with this bittersweet smile.

He had also suggested that she try to get some sleep, implying that she looked like shit, and when she asked about it, he had just shrugged and said he only spoke the truth around her.

Shaking her head, there was a knock on the door, and she immediately stood, opening it enough to see a beaming 10. “Am I late?”

“Late for what?” Chloe asked, letting him in.

“Our first session! You said I should start doing it with this face.”

“ _Oh…_ ” She whispered, eyes widening. “You’ve just regenerated then?” The Doctor beamed at this, though his eyes were glued on her hair.

“You cut your hair,” he noted. “It used to be all curly.”

“It probably will go back to bein’ curly in a couple months,” she admitted. “But no, I guess _you’re_ not late.”

“A future me is?” he guessed, looking at the photos on her walls.

“A future version of this face, yeah. Haven’t seen him since…” she trailed off, picking up a photo that had her, Rose and Jackie on the girl’s 15th birthday. She felt a hand over hers and jolted, looking up to see the Doctor’s worried eyes. “She’s fine, in the hospital now, but…” she shook her head, putting the photo back. Turning around, she smiled at him and ushered the Time Lord into the kitchen. “I’ll make some tea for you.”

“I don’t know how I like it yet,” he warned, but she just laughed.

“Perks of having a time static best friend, I know what you’ll like before you,” she joked before freezing. “Uh, we… are friends…?” she trailed off, and the Doctor grinned.

“I’d say we are,” he agreed, taking the offered cup. “Oh, this is lovely.”

“Of course it is, you sugar demon,” she huffed, working on a cup of coffee for herself before turning and pointing at him. “And if you eat my preserves with just your fingers again, I won’t hesitate to smack you,”

She saw his eyes start to go over towards the jar before glancing at her sheepishly. “I’ll try to remember,” he promised, making her pinch her nose and then rub her cheeks.

“You’re going to be the death of me,” she muttered, sitting across from him, trying to ignore the slightly panicked look as she said that. “Right, well, this is going to be interesting, having a session 0 where we literally can’t talk about anything cause it’s full of spoilers and lying is a no-go.”

“Hmm,” he said, mirroring her pose and placing his hands under his chin like she had hoped he would. It was just as adorable as she imagined it would be. “What do we usually talk about during these sessions?”

“Well, it depends on the regeneration,” she admitted. “But mostly it’s how to _not_ act upon your guilt complex. How you feel when events happen, or when a companion does something brilliant or stupid.”

“Can I get an example of the last one?” He had the puppy eyes and knew how to use them, she’ll admit that.

“Get that face away from me,” she huffed, deciding to echo 12. “Your eyes inflate, how do you get them to go that big? Seriously, stop,” by the end, he knew she was joking and was grinning, no longer using that pleading face on her, though she had no doubt he’d use it against her later. “I suppose… one of the events is… one of your companions who stayed after a regeneration, she started to date someone and… you didn’t like who she was seeing because of something he did when he was younger. You’re a bit more gruffer by then, and you don’t express yourself very well, so usually that face comes to visit whenever there’s an emotional or companion issue.”

“How does the session end?” he asked curiously, and she snorted into her coffee.

“Usually by locking the two of you in the study and not letting you out until you start making sense,” she admitted, biting back a laugh at his affronted face, which looked exactly like 12’s at that moment.

The session afterwards seemed to blur together as the two found out different things about one another. He seemed genuinely surprised when she admitted how terrified she had been during Justica, and when she admitted one of the later adventures would no doubt push her into a panic attack, he had such a guilty look, she wanted to grab the spray bottle from her study and spray him with it, but decided against it.

He’d get a pass because he no doubt just went through it.

“It’s almost four,” she noted as she finished her fifth cup of coffee. “Jackie’ll be up soon to go and visit Rose before she goes to work.”

“Suppose I better leave then,” he looked torn, but stood, and she followed him to the front door, leaning against it as he stepped outside. “It was…”

“Nice talking to you?” she suggested, getting a grin. While it didn’t tug at her heartstrings as much as 9’s or 12’s did, it still had her relaxing and grinning back. “I’ll see you later, spaceman.”

She shut the door once he was out of sight and went back into the kitchen, ready to clean the mugs when she noticed his trench coat folded on the back of his chair. Shaking her head, she grabbed it and held it up, looking for any tears or stains. God forbid she’d have to empty the pockets to wash it. At the little thought, she let out a huffy laugh, moving over to her study’s closer and hanging it up with care. No doubt he’d remember it _after_ he landed back in 2006.

There was a knock on the door, making her pause. Maybe she was wrong about that memory.

“Realized you left your coat then huh?” She called as there was another impatient, or perhaps scared, knock. “Hold on, I’m coming…”

When she opened the door, 10 was there, but it wasn’t the same Doctor who had just left.

She could immediately tell he was older, and that something was so very, _very_ wrong as he let out a sob, the familiar clicks and chirps 9 had made falling from his lips as he started to move forward, but didn’t, eyes on her, pleading for her to… do something. She had a few sessions where the Doctor had gotten overly emotional, and during all of them, them being hugged had always made them calm down faster. She set the coat off to the side and opened up her arms, and as expect, the Time Lord lunged for her.

What she didn’t expect as for him to drag her down to the ground as if he couldn’t stand anymore. “What’s wrong?” she whispered into his hair as he cried into her neck. “Doctor, what’s wrong?”

He shook her head, and she sighed, trying to do a recount on what would’ve made him this emotional. She’s yet to meet him directly after the events of _Last of the Time Lords_ or _Journey’s End_ , so could either one of these points be why he was here?

In any case, she blinked, and the newly regenerated Doctor was back in the doorway, watching the two with wide eyes. She inhaled sharply, glancing at the coat beside her and grimaced. “C’mon,” she murmured. “Let’s go to the study, yeah? Lay down for a lil while?” But he only let out more of those chirps and clicks, making her close her eyes. “Doctor, I can’t understand you. We need to…” she trailed off, deciding not to finish that statement. Instead, she turned to the Doctor in the doorway. “Maybe come back tomorrow?” she offered, getting a slow nod as he backed away. “Thanks. Can you close the door behind you please?”

She waited until he was once again gone before turning her attention towards the Doctor in her arms. He was still crying, though at a lesser rate. His shaking hadn’t gone down once.

“Doctor, please,” she murmured, to no response, making her sigh. _So much for never using this name_ , she thought before pressing her head against his. “ _Theta_ ,” she murmured, and the Doctor jolted and lifted his head to look at her, eyes still glassy. “Let’s go lay down, yeah?”

She could see the words slowly register as he let go of her, instead reaching out and linking their hands, allowing her to stand up and tug him into the study and onto the futon bed. When she sat down, he was right beside her, thighs pressing against one another. When she turned her head to look at him, his free hand was on the base of her neck and he quickly pressed their foreheads together. For the briefest of moments, she _swore_ she could hear his thoughts.

“Doctor?” She whispered. “Tell me how I can help.”

Finally, he spoke in english, voice hoarse. “Make me forget,” his next breath was shaky, but she couldn’t tell if he was going to start crying again as his eyes were closed. “Help me forget.”

She put her free hand on his cheek, and he leaned into it, not relenting and removing his forehead from hers. “How?” she whispered, and his eyes opened, going to her hair. _Note to self_ , she thought, _this distressed Doctor is from after I apparently keep my hair-_

* * *

Her thought was cut off as he slammed their mouths together. Her body acted, hand moving from cheek to hair as he pulled her closer, on top of him, letting go of her hand to rest on her thigh while she used his shoulder to balance herself. As if acting on instinct, his mouth dropped away, towards her neck, and as he sucked on the junction where neck met shoulder, she couldn’t stop her moan, pulling a bit on his hair as his teeth grazed her skin. When he _did_ bite, she grounded her hips against his, making them both let out a moan.

Pulling his head up, she kissed him a bit more frantically as they shifted, him going onto his back with her on him. As his hand tugged at the shirt that was tucked into her shorts and she struggled to get his suit jacket off, there was the sound of a slamming door, making Chloe jolt, her mind rushing back to her, flooding her with shame as she realized what was happening.

* * *

“Doctor,” she said, and the Time Lord’s hand on her bare back paused. “Doctor, we need to stop,”

She saw him blink and then glance around, a look of horror on his face. “What year is this?” he whispered.

“It’s 2001,” she answered, unsure if it was safe to move off of him or not. When he removed his hands from her, she all but tumbled off the futon, landing with a huff as the Doctor leaned over, a mix of amusement and appallment on his face. Sitting up, he leaned back hastily, not looking her in the eyes, making sigh and rub her face. “Are you ok?”

“I almost just… and you’re asking _me_?” she didn’t catch all of what he said, but it was enough to have her leaning against the futon and smirked slightly before forcing her face to show nothing.

“I’m not _complaining_ ,” she told him, and damn if that blush he had wasn’t amusing. “I just want to know why you came to my door at 4 am in tears.”

“I…” he rubbed his face and then carded his hands through his hair. “I did something,” he whispered. “Something awful.”

 _Bowie Base One_ , she realized with a jolt. “We all make mistakes,” Chloe said, scootching forward enough to offer out a hand. She was happy and grateful when he took it tightly, and she could feel his tremors still.

“But I changed a fixed point,” he argued.

“Doctor, I may not understand what happened exactly,” she started, making him flinch. “But one could argue with me being here and travelling with you in the future, I’m changing fixed points left and right. You made a mistake, and you’ve learned from it, right?” He didn’t nod right away, but when he did, she reached forward, guiding him to look at her. When he did, she gave him her best gentle smile. “You _learned_ , Doctor. Truth and Consequence happened,” yet another flinch, “and from that, you’ve forged yourself anew. I don’t know what it must feel like, seeing the timelines rewrite themselves, but tell me, what was your immediate thought after it happened? While you were flying the TARDIS?”

“That… that I needed to find you.”

Something in the back of her head told her that _you_ in this case wasn’t the her he was talking to, but she knew better than to comment on that. Instead, she smiled and squeezed his hand. “You found me. And, I promise, wherever you left me, I’ll be right there waiting.” Dropping her hand from his cheek, she stood up and turned towards the door. “I think I still have some tea left. Maybe even some hot chocolate. Do you want-”

His hand slipped up to her wrist, tugging her back, and as she turned, she saw his face was completely open and honest, the fear written on there too much to be fake. “Don’t leave,” he gasped, and her breath hitched.

She had _left_... 

Had _The Waters of Mars_ been that bad that she had been willing to remove herself from the Doctor’s timeline?

She must’ve been thinking for too long, because the Doctor’s grip went slack, pulling her back to the present. Glancing between the Time Lord and the door, her heart had decided before her mind, though both were in agreement this time. Straightening, she turned back to him, grabbing the hand that had just let her go.

“C’mon,” she murmured, tugging him out of the room and across the hall into her room. “Get comfy, we’re taking a platonic nap together.” Once this left her mouth, she began to tug off her shirt, ignoring his weak protests, and she glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. “It’s just flesh, Doctor.” she chided, though she was grinning at his blush. She almost immediately put on a tanktop though, and didn’t change her jean shorts to her sleeping shorts.

When she turned around, the Doctor didn’t have a tie or his suit jacket on, and she could see _his_ jacket on the bedside table. Crawling under the covers, she could see him hesitate before joining her, both of them laying on their sides to look at one another.

“I’m afraid of what will happen,” he whispered after a few moments, and she smiled softly.

“It’s only natural to be,” she replied in the same tone. “It’ll hurt at first, but like all hurt, it will fade eventually.” She didn’t know what possessed her; perhaps it was the small part that had always craved contact, or maybe something new that started after their heated session, but she reached out, brushing a bit of hair away from his face and hummed. “Everything ends one day, but I promise you Doctor, that when you go back to find the me from your time, I will be waiting for you. I’m in this for the long haul, and I shouldn’t see the end that soon,”

There were another few quiet minutes, and she thought he had fallen asleep before he spoke, voice so quiet she barely heard it.

“Will you say my name again?”

“Doctor?”

“No, my… my academy name,” his eyes were going all puppy dog again, but she couldn’t find it in herself to poke fun at it like last time. Instead, she leaned forward a bit, tucking her head in a little.

“Of course… _Theta_.”


	17. The Eleventh Hour (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe skips ahead a few years

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dual Chapter update! :D

After Rose’s release from the hospital in December of 2001, it felt as if Chloe had blinked and it was suddenly December 31st, 2004.

The blonde in question was walking with her and Jackie, the three playfully arguing. “I’m late now, I’ve missed it.” she was saying. “It’s midnight, James’ll be calling me and everything. This is your fault.”

“No, it’s not!” Chloe protested. “It’s not my fault my car broke down halfway there.”

“And Jimbo’s axle broke,” Jackie added.

“Get rid of him, Mum, he’s useless.” Rose sighed. “And can’t one of your fancy doctors help you out? Surely one of the blokes or even your girl would know how to fix your car.”

“The second I let those four _anywhere_ near my car willingly is the second the universe implodes.” the redhead shook her head, her curly hair falling into her face, and Jackie laughed at Chloe’s disgruntled face.

“Listen to you two, with mechanics,” she said. “Be fair though, my time of life, I’m not going to do much better.”

“Oh, don’t be like that Jackie,” she protested. “There’s definitely someone out there for you.”

“Maybe one day,” the elder blonde agreed. “Happy New Year.” She gave the redhead a hug as Rose grinned.

“Happy New Year,” she repeated, giving her mother a hug as well. “Don’t stay out all night,”

“Try and stop me!” Jackie called as she walked away, making the two laugh as they started heading back towards the estate. As they passed an alley, there was a grunt in pain, and Chloe stopped as she realized what was happening.

“You all right, mate?” Rose asked, and she found herself all but launching herself forward at the Doctor’s pain filled voice.

“Yeah,” he muttered, grabbing Chloe’s arm and sending her a grateful, but sad look and… god her heart couldn’t take it.

“Too much to drink?” Rose continued, used to Chloe going to random strangers and helping them.

“Something like that,” he replied.

“Maybe it’s time you went home,” the redhead suggested carefully.

“Anyway… Happy New Year.”

“And you,” he said, and after nodding at Rose to continue ahead, the blonde started to walk away. “What year is this?”

“Blimey, how much have you had?” She joked, but Chloe grimaced, shaking her head slightly. “2005, January 1st.”

“2005? Tell you what. I bet you’re going to have a really great year.”

Rose just smiled at the Doctor’s words, not knowing that this was his goodbye to her. “Yeah? See ya.” As she entered the building, Chloe had to all but catch the Doctor as he doubled over in pain. Putting one of his arms on her shoulders and wrapping an arm around his waist, she must’ve looked like she wasn’t doing anything, but she could feel him putting his weight on her with a murmur of thanks as they slowly made their way to the TARDIS.

“It’ll be ok Doctor,” she murmured.

About halfway there, he paused, looking at empty space, and she knew he was seeing Ood-Sigma. After a few seconds, he continued forward again, Chloe right beside him as she snapped open the TARDIS and hesitantly followed him inside.

As he stumbled up the walkway, she had him pause long enough to take off the trench coat and suit jacket, quickly stepping back as his hand began to glow. “You need…” he murmured, but she shook her head as images from the TARDIS flashed in her head, showing her what she had to do on the console to send it into flight mode.

“No. You’re not going through a regeneration alone,” she told him stubbornly. “I don’t know where I am along your timeline, but right now, _I_ am staying right here.”

There was a pause, and then, “I don’t want to go,”

“I’ll be here,” she promised quietly. “No matter what.”

He closed his eyes as the golden energy began to overtake him, throwing out his arms and head back as it exploded from him and, consequently, started to explode the TARDIS. She could hear his scream change pitch, and within a blink of an eye, the golden light was gone and the 11th Doctor stood in 10’s ruined clothes. She had to blink back the tears as she reminded herself that while the body was gone, the mind wasn’t and the Doctor would always be the Doctor.

He let out a gasp before looking over himself. “Legs. I’ve still got legs, good. Arms. Hands. Ooh, fingers, lots of fingers. Ears, yes. Eyes, two. Nose, I’ve had worse. Chin, _blimey_. Hair…” she saw him run his hands through his hair and his eyes went wide, making her put a hand over her mouth as to not giggle. “I’m a girl! No! No… I’m not a girl.” he tugged on a lock of hair, pulling it in front of his now green eyes before pouting. “And still not ginger!” His eyes darted over to her and he _grinned_ , rushing over and scooping her up into a hug before spinning her around. “Chloe Nightingale! Just the lovely, wonderful woman I need.” His face suddenly went serious, and she swallowed, reminding herself that they were currently crashing and that now wasn’t a good time for a kiss. “Tell me, do you like the new face?”

“Doctor,” she said, slowly. “You’re forgetting something.” To her embarrassment, he actually glanced down at himself, and _god_ , she wanted to facepalm; what did she even see in him?

“What?”

“We’re _crashing_ , you space dunce!” She yelled just as an explosion happened again, and she saw it click. He let out a laugh and grabbed her hand, dragging her to the console.

“Geronimo!”

* * *

Climbing out of the TARDIS from the waterlogged library was a _lot_ harder than it seemed, but, thankfully, the TARDIS had managed to ensure none of the books she had would get ruined by the pool’s water, so as she grumbled about wet jeans and curls, the Doctor just grinned at her like a madman.

“You love it,” he teased, making her roll her eyes.

“If this happens more than once you’re getting a slap,” she told him, and he was suddenly interested in the rope they were climbing. “Oh I hate you,” she huffed.

“No, you don’t!” He said, making her grin and shake her head.

“No, I don’t,”

* * *

She was ready to climb out of the TARDIS when she heard the Doctor talking again. “Can I have an apple? All I can think about - apples and-” he cut himself off, glancing down at Chloe before shaking his head. “I love apples. Maybe I'm having a craving. That's new - never had cravings before.”

“You hate apples,” she said, all but throwing herself out of the TARDIS and onto the ground. “And yogurt, and bacon, and beans, and bread and butter.” as she finished, he was pouting at her, making her stick her tongue out at him.

“Are you OK?“ Amelia Pond asked from beside Chloe.

“Just had a fall. All the way down there, right to the library. Hell of a climb back up.” The Doctor answered, swinging his feet across the boundary.

“You're soaking wet.”

“I was in the swimming pool.”

“You said you were in the library.”

“The pool was in the library dear,” she interrupted.

“Are you policemen?” Amelia asked, making the Doctor straighten.

“Why? Did you call a policeman?”

“Did you come about the crack in my wall?”

“What cra...?” She could see him slowmo falling back and quickly lunged forward, grabbing the tattered shirt and putting the Time Lord back towards her as she lost her balance and once again fell on the ground. “Agh!”

“Are you all right, mister?” Amelia asked as Chloe had him shift to where they were sitting side by side.

“He’ll be fine,” she promised. “He’s still working somethings out.” As she said this, he opened his mouth and released a little of the regeneration energy. “We won’t attract anymore Pilot Fish, will we?”

“Shouldn’t,” he answered, a bit breathlessly. “Really should’ve done that in the Zero Room, eh?”

“I’m going to kill you,” she said, and he grinned.

“Who are you?” Amelia asked, making the older redhead smile at her.

“I don't know yet. I'm still cooking. Does it scare you?” The Doctor answered, energy coming off of his hands.

“No, it just looks a bit weird.” Bless the Scottish girl for mistaking the question, though Chloe had to agree with her a bit.

“No, no, no. The crack in your wall. Does it scare you?”

“Yes.”

The Doctor jumped up and pulled Chloe up, giving her a maniacal grin. “Well, then, no time to lose. I'm the Doctor, this is Chloe. Do everything we tell you, don't ask stupid questions and don't wander off.” As he strode away, Chloe just watched in mild amusement as he walked straight into a tree.

“You all right?” She called, sharing a grin and wink with Amelia.

“Early days. Steering's a bit off.” he groaned. “You let me do that on purpose.”

“Guilty,” she laughed. “Let’s get inside then, yeah?”

* * *

Rather than the series of foods, Chloe immediately pulled out the fish fingers and preheated the oven, ignoring the Doctor’s delighted gasp as he realized what his craving was.

“Chloe Nightingale I could kiss you right now,” he announced, making her flush and shut the oven door a little harder than she wanted too.

“Do you want a repeat of last time?” She asked, remembering how awkward the two versions of 10 had been the next morning. The younger version had been so certain the two had slept together whilst the elder was just holding his head in what she assumed was embarrassment. Or because he remembered himself holding his head.

Judging by the pout, he didn’t want a repeat.

In any case, she merely dished out some ice cream for herself and Amelia while the Time Lord proceeded to try his meal. By the time he drank the custard, Chloe was shaking her head fondly, trying to surpress a smirk as she saw the custard-stache.

“Funny,” Amelia mumbled.

“Am I? Good. Funny’s good. What’s your name?”

“Amelia Pond.” The girl answered as Chloe mouthed her name, and she could see the lightbulb go off: she was to be his latest companion.

“Ah, that's a brilliant name. Amelia Pond, like a name in a fairy tale. Are we in Scotland, Amelia?”

“Nope, we’re in Leadworth, England. Be glad you didn’t move to America. It’s very rubbish there.” Chloe answered for her, and the girl looked at her with wise eyes.

The Doctor grinned at this, obviously knowing by now that the elder redhead knew what was happening. “So what about your mum and dad, then? Are they upstairs? Thought we'd have woken them by now.”

“I don't have a mum and dad. Just an aunt.” Amelia said, making Chloe grimace as she remembered the crack in the wall.

“But… if you don’t have a mom or dad and your aunt’s never here, who makes the apples with the smiley face for you?” she asked suddenly, getting two strange looks.

“I never said anything about apples with smiley faces,” the girl said suspiciously.

“What’s happening?” the Time Lord asked, but Chloe shook her head, grimacing.

“The ‘Big Bad’ of the season,” she muttered, and the Doctor scowled, glancing over at the little girl.

“Your aunt leaves you alone?” he asked, and she knew that tone, despite having never really heard it. It was his Father Tone, and she had a feeling he was going to be all too willing to take the girl with him as she was to ensure she wasn’t alone.

“I'm not scared!” Amelia protested, and the Doctor’s lips twitched a bit.

“‘Course you're not. You're not scared of anything! Box falls out of the sky, man falls out of box, man eats fish custard, and look at you, just sitting there. So you know what I think?”

“What?”

“Must be a hell of a scary crack in your wall.” Both Chloe and the Doctor said together.

* * *

Chloe was behind the Doctor as he examined one of the many cracks across the universe. For a bitter, self-destructive second, she wondered that if she threw herself in there, the Big Bang 2 Doctor would fall out. Blinking, she shook her head and stepped back, giving the crack an alarmed look. The Doctor continued as if he hadn’t seen her stumble. “You've had some cowboys in here. Not actual cowboys, though that can happen.”

Amelia spoke up from the doorway, a familiar apple in hand. “I used to hate apples, so my mum put faces on them.” Chloe expected her to give it to the Doctor, but rather, she offered it up to Chloe, making her smile softly. “How did you know about that?”

“She sounds good, your mum.” the Time Lord answered, tapping the apple and slipping it into his pocket. “Chloe knows the future from her standpoint, so she knows the outcome of all of this,” he continued, dodging her elbow that was supposed to dig into his ribs. “This wall is solid and the crack doesn't go all the way through it. So here's a thing - where's the draught coming from?” He ran the sonic across the crack and she had to force herself to not snatch him back; this crack didn’t erase people, it was the one outside. “Wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey. You know what the crack is?”

“What?” The little girl asked before glancing over at her with wide, slightly scared eyes.

“It’s a crack in space and time,” she told the girl gently, though she had a feeling the Doctor was listening despite already knowing this. “If you were to take the wall down, it would still be there. This particular one; it goes across the entire universe, linking two places together.”

“The question is what’s on the other side.” the Doctor hummed before pressing an ear against the wall. “Sometimes, can you hear…”

“A voice? Yes.”

“Prisoner Zero?” The Doctor mumbled, glancing at her.

“Villain of the Day,” she murmured.

“Prisoner Zero has escaped. That's what I heard. What does it mean?” Amelia said.

“It means that, on the other side of this wall, there's a prison and they've lost a prisoner. Do you know what that means?”

“What?”

“It means we take a step back,” Chloe said, moving the girl away from the wall.

“And that you need a better wall.” The Doctor pushed the desk out of the way. “The only way to close the breach is to open it all the way. The forces will invert and it'll snap itself shut. Or…”

“What?”

“You know when grown-ups tell you everything's going to be fine and you think they're probably lying to make you feel better?” Oh she had forgotten this line. She was going to smack him for it.

“Yes.”

“Everything's going to be fine.”

“Doctor!” Chloe hissed.

He merely held out a hand, and, after holding Amelia to her with one arm, she sighed and grabbed his hand, grinning as their fingers slotted perfectly. Using his other hand, he activated the sonic and a bright light shined through it as it widened, revealing several rows of cells.

“Prisoner Zero has escaped.” A voice droned, making the woman shiver. So much creepier in person! He took a step closer to the crack, and as a result, Amelia and her were forced to take a step forward as well. “Prisoner Zero has escaped.”

“Hello? Hello?” The Doctor called, and a giant blue eye peered at them through the crack. 

“What's that?” Amelia gasped, and Chloe quickly dropped the Time Lord’s hand. A small ball of light or electricity shot out from the crack, striking the Doctor and he fell against the bed. A second later, the crack sealed, leaving Prisoner Zero on Earth. 

Rather than answering right away, the Doctor got up and dusted himself off with a grin. “There. You see, told you it would close. Good as new.”

Amelia looked up at them. “What was that thing? Was that Prisoner Zero?”

“That was their guard,” she answered.

The Doctor pulled out a familiar looking wallet. “They sent me a message. Psychic paper, takes a lovely little message. ‘Prisoner Zero has escaped.' But why tell us? Unless…”

“Child in the room Doctor,” Chloe hummed. “Mind what you say.”

“Right, always be mindful of the kid,” he nodded before blinking. “But he couldn’t have. We’d know.”

“We literally got here thirty minutes ago. The crack’s been here for weeks,” she reminded him, but he was already rushing out of the room.

Quickly following him, she hung out of the doorway, watching him carefully as he looked around in confusion. “It's difficult. Brand-new me, nothing works yet. But there's something I'm missing... in the corner…” he slowly started to turn, and with a jolt, she realized she could see the sixth door easily. “of my eye.”

She went to say something, but before she even could begin to vocalize, the first syllable, the Cloister Bells began to ring. The Doctor grabbed her hand, dragging her down the stairs with him.

“No, no, no, no, no, no! I've got to get back in there! The engines are phasing, it's going to burn!”

“But... it's just a box! How can a box have engines?” The little girl who had followed them protested. Chloe freed the grappling hook as the Doctor gathered the rope.

“It's not a box. It's a time machine.” the Time Lord answered, making the girl blink.

“What, a real one? You've got a real time machine?”

“Not for much longer if I can't get her stabilised. Five-minute hop into the future should do it.” As the Doctor was looping the rope through the handles, she knelt in front of the girl.

“Can I come?” Amelia asked, but Chloe shook her head.

“The Doctor’ll say it’s not safe, and he’s right. It’s dangerous for a seven year old girl to be by herself, let alone in space.” Leaning forward, she whispered in her ear, “The Doctor’ll say five minutes, my dear, but it’ll be twelve years. Be safe, Amelia Pond. We will come back.”

“Give us five minutes, we'll be right back.” The Doctor said, straddling the entrance and Chloe followed him, sending a sad look to the stricken girl.

“People always say that.” She said, looking ready to cry.

The Doctor looked torn for a split second before jumping back down to the ground and looking at her, face to face. “Am I people? Do I even look like people? Trust me, I'm the Doctor.” Amelia smiled, and Chloe helped him back up, holding onto the rope as she looked at the younger redhead. With a little wink, the two jumped. “Geronimo!”

* * *

“There was a perception filter in that hall,” the Doctor said suddenly as the rattling calmed down and Chloe was, yet again, soaked to the bone. “Why is there a perception filter in that house?”

“I told you Doctor,” she sighed. “Prisoner Zero was in the house when you closed the crack.”

His eyes widened and he quickly began to flip all sorts of switches. “Where was it? Leadworth?”

“Don’t ask me the proper year,” she warned. “All I know is that we don’t get there on time.” He turned to her, puffed out, eyes horrified and angry. Part of her wanted to laugh, but the larger part cringed. “Ok, correction, we get there _in_ time, just not within five minutes.”

“How long?” he quickly turned back, motioning her over towards a different hex side to his left, where there was a sticky note with labeled steps in her handwriting.

“Twelve years, give or take a few weeks,” she answered, figuring it wasn’t too much of a spoiler. “Amy’ll try to tell you only six months, but the shed gives it away.”

“Amy? Whose Amy?”

“Amelia Pond was a bit too fairytale for her,” the redhead laughed. “I understand where she’s coming from. Chloe Nightingale sounds just as make believe.”

“Chloe Nightingale is a perfect name,” he protested, tugging on her waist and pulling her into a hug, their foreheads bumping together, making her flush.

“Thank you?” she offered. “But Doctor, Prisoner Zero? Big Time crunch and newest companion in trouble!”

“Right!” He broke the hug, but grabbed her hand, running out of the TARDIS. “Amelia! Amelia, I worked out what it was. I know what I was missing! You've got to get out of there!” He sonicked the back door, and she winced as it began to fritz. Walking ahead of him, she could hear the other redhead upstairs, though it sounded like she was trying to be quiet. “Amelia? Amelia, are you all right? Are you there?”

Before she could stop him, the Doctor rushed forward, up the stairs, and Chloe winced, following at a sedated pace.

 _“Prisoner Zero's here. Prisoner Zero is here! Prisoner Zero is here! Do you understand me? Prisoner Zero is-_ ”

* * *

“You’re going to make me go grey,” Chloe complained as soon as she saw the Doctor’s eyes open. She was handcuffed to one side of the cuffs. Through a radiator coil on the other cuff was the Doctor.

Amy was talking into her ‘radio’, and it was taking the elder redhead to do everything but laugh. “White male and female, both mid twenties, breaking and entering. Send me some back-up. I've got them restrained. Oi! You, sit still.”

“Cricket bat. I'm getting cricket bat.” the Doctor murmured before glancing at Chloe. “Are you ok?”

“She’s human with a human-made object, she can’t hurt me.” she replied, rolling her eyes as Amy gave them a stink eye.

“You two were breaking and entering.” Amy told him, jerking her thumb towards Chloe.

“Do you bite your thumb at us, ma’am?” she joked, getting both a delighted and disgruntled look.

“Shakespeare, wonderful man. Brilliant, really, you liked him a lot.” the Doctor mumbled. “Well, that's much better. Brand new me. Whack on the head, just what I needed.”

“I honestly can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not,”

“Do you two want to shut up now? I've got back up on the way.” Amy snapped, making Chloe smirk.

“Hang on, no, wait. You're a policewoman.” She could see the other redhead go tense.

“And you're breaking and entering. You see how this works?”

“But what are you doing here? Where's Amelia?”

Amy looked at him as if he grew a second head. “Amelia Pond?”

“Yeah, Amelia. Little Scottish girl. Where is she? I promised her five minutes but the engines were phasing. I suppose I must have gone a bit far. Has something happened to her?”

“Amelia Pond hasn't lived here in a long time.” That made the Doctor pause, glancing at Chloe before turning back to Amy.

“How long?”

“Six months.”

She could see when the Doctor made the connection as his right leg twitched towards her, making her nod ever so slightly before glancing up and grinning at the human. “Are you really arresting us without reading us our rights? Naughty naughty. Besides, your skirt is too short to be standard. Either the cops have lowered their already low standards, or you’re a fake.”

“Well, you’re the one who noticed,” the Doctor was searching his pockets, but frowned. “I need to speak to whoever lives in this house right now.”

“I live here,” Amy said.

“But you’re the not-police,” she wanted to shake her head at the Time Lord’s confusion. She’d blame it on the regeneration energy just this once, but after that...

“Yes, and this is where I live. Have you got a problem with that?”

“How many rooms?” The Doctor asked.

“Doctor,” she warned.

“I'm sorry, what?”

“On this floor. How many rooms on this floor? Count them for me now.”

“Doctor, seriously, don’t.”

“Why?”

“Because it will change your life.”

“Five. One, two, three, four, five.”

“You really don’t want to-”

“Six.”

Shifting her body, she moved to kick the Doctor’s knee, ignoring his wounded look.

“Six?” Amy asked, turning around.

“Look. exactly where you don't want to look. Where you never want to look. The corner of your eye. Look behind you.”

As the redhead slowly turned towards the impossible door, Chloe glared at the Doctor. “Really, we could’ve had her unlock us _before_ you made her go investigate.”

“I don't have the key. I lost it.” Amy said, and the Doctor’s eyes widen.

“He’s still in the house. Stay away from that door! Do not touch that door! Listen to me, do not open that. Why does no-one ever listen to me? Do I just have a face that nobody listens to?”

“And she’s Amelia Pond, a girl who's too stubborn for her own good.” she snapped as the redhead went into the sixth room.

“Where is my screwdriver?” He asked, but she shook her head. “Silver thing, blue at the end. Where did it go?”

“ _There's nothing here._ ” Amy called.

 _False,_ Chloe thought.

“Whatever's there stopped you seeing the room,” the Doctor began. “What makes you think you could see it? Now please, just get out.”

“ _Silver, blue at the end?_ ”

“My screwdriver, yeah.”

“ _It's here._ ”

“Must have rolled under the door.”

“And then jumped up on the table?” Chloe asked him in a soft tone.

“What?” he mouthed.

" _Yeah. Must have. And then it must have jumped up on the table._ ”

“Get out of there.” The Doctor said, voice calm before he started yelling. “Get out of there! Get out!” Amy didn’t appear and she could see his desperation grow. “Get out of there!”

His panic was starting to get to Chloe, and her free hand went to the chain. All it would take was one tug. “Amy, please, get _out_ of there!” She called.

“What is it? What are you doing?” He glanced at her, looking between the handcuffs and her before shaking his head. With a deep breath, she dropped her hand and looked back at the impossible door.

“ _There's nothing here, but…_ ”

“Corner of your eye.” the Doctor murmured.

“ _What is it?_ ”

“Don't try to see it. If it knows you've seen it, it will kill you.” Chloe called, voice shaking. “Don't look at it. Do _not_ look.”

There was a second where she thought the other redhead was going to listen to her before she screamed, and she could feel the Doctor’s blood pressure spike. “Get out!” he screamed, and Amy finally ran to the Doctor, sonic in hand. “Give me that.” Taking it, he turned it on the cuffs. “Come on. What's the bad alien done to you?”

“Doctor, is now the time?” she asked, and a moment later, the cuffs unlocked.

“Will that door hold it?” Amy asked.

“Oh, yeah, yeah, of course. It's an interdimensional multiform from outer space. They're all terrified of wood.”

“No,” she told the woman. “Get behind us. We know what we’re doing… usually.” There was a bright light from the room Amy had just left.

“What's that? What's it doing?”

“I don't know. Getting dressed? Run. Just go. Your back up's coming. We'll be fine.”

“There is no back up.” Amy admitted

The Doctor looked at the younger redhead in confusion. “I heard you on the radio. You called for back up.”

“I was pretending. It's a pretend radio.”

“You're a policewoman.”

“I'm a kissogram!”

“Doctor, there’s no human backup, Amy, there _is_ backup,” Chloe snapped irritably.

“But you just said no one was coming!” Amy argued just as the door fell. There was a man in overalls and a toolbelt with a big, burly rottweiler, the man’s face snarling. “But it's just-”

“No, it isn't. Look at the faces.”

The man barked, making Amy startle. “What? I'm sorry, but what?”

“It's all one creature.” The Doctor explained, and she knew if he had his bowtie he’d be straightening it. “One creature disguised as two. Clever old multi-form. A bit of a rush job, though. Got the voice a bit muddled, did you? Mind you, where did you get the pattern from? You'd need a psychic link, a live feed. How did you fix that?”

“It needs years,” Chloe told him quietly, hoping to hint at the link between Prisoner Zero and Amy. In response to them, the man opened his mouth wide, showing the long, needle-like teeth.

“Stay, boy! Her and me, we're safe. Want to know why? She sent for back up.”

“I didn't send for back-up!” Amy protested.

“Amy, shush! We did, a long time ago, remember?” She said, hoping the girl could still recall the Atraxi prison.

“ _Attention, Prisoner Zero. The human residence is surrounded. Attention Prisoner Zero. The human residence is surrounded_.”

“What's that?”

“Backup,” the Doctor grinned. “We’re safe.”

“ _Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated._ ”

Right, they considered the entire planet to be the human residence. “Well, safe apart from, you know, incineration.” She murmured.

“ _Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated._ ”

“Right, run! Run!” As Prisoner Zero stepped forward, the Doctor grabbed her hand, and she barely had a second to grab Amy before they were running down the stairs.

“ _Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated._ ”


	18. The Eleventh Hour (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe gets a glimpse of her future with the Doctor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is a little intermission with two comic companions, Gabby and Cindy. After that, it's "Rose"!

“Kissogram?” The Doctor asked, and Chloe’s nose scrunched.

Amy seemed to have the same idea. “Yes, a kissogram. Work through it.”

“Why'd you pretend to be a policewoman?” he continued

“You broke into my house. It was this or a French maid. What's going on? Tell me. Tell me!” Amy demanded.

“An alien convict is hiding in your spare room disguised as a man and a dog, and some other aliens are about to incinerate your house and us two aliens are going to try and stop both of them. Any questions?” Chloe said.

“Yes!”

“Me too.” The Doctor agreed, but when he went to push open the TARDIS doors, they refused to budge. “No, no, no, no! Don't do that, not now! It's still rebuilding. Not letting us in.”

“ _Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated._ ”

“Come on.” Amy tried pulling him away, and his eyes caught the shed. When he didn’t budge at first, Chloe tugged on his arm, getting him moving again.

“You said six months. Why did you say six months?” He demanded, turning to both the redheads. Did he know she would answer if Amy didn’t?

“We've got to go,” Amy tried.

“This matters. This is important. Why did you say six months?” He continued to press.

“Why did you say five minutes?!” Amy finally screamed, turning around to glare at them.

“What?” The Doctor said.

“Amy, I told you,” she said. “I told you it would be closer to 12 years.”

“Whatever, come on.”

“ _Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated._ ”

Tugging the Doctor down the road, she barely caught up with the other redhead. “You're Amelia,” the Doctor said.

“And you're late.”

“Amelia Pond. You're the little girl.”

“I'm Amelia and you're late.”

“What happened?”

“The same thing that happens to every child who has an ‘imaginary’ friend, Doctor,” Chloe answered, voice quiet. “Adults force them to grow up, one way or another.”

“You hit me with a cricket bat.” the Doctor said after squeezing her hand during a moment’s pause.

“Twelve years.” Amy shot back.

“A cricket bat.”

“Twelve years and five psychiatrists.”

“Hold on, _five_?” Chloe interrupted. “It’s supposed to be four.”

“The fourth one wasn’t as accepting to you as she was to him,” Amy muttered, glancing between the two of them. “And I kept biting them.:

“ _Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated._ Repeat.”

Amy stared at the ice cream van in disbelief. “No, no, no, come on. What? We're being staked out by an ice-cream van.”

“ _Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated._ ”

“Chloe, hint?” The Doctor called as he headed towards the van.

“I’m going to yeet myself into the sun after this,” she replied, hoping he’d remember her words before Justica.

“The whole _planet_ is in danger?” He asked, sounding just as disgruntled as she felt. “Why is it every time I regenerate?”

“At least it’s not on Christmas again,” she said, doing her best to keep her tone light.

In return, she got the ‘hush you’ finger pointed at her as he opened up the van. “What's that? Why are you playing that?”

“It's supposed to be Claire De Lune.” The man answered in bemusement.

“ _Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated. Repeat. Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated._ ”

She watched as the Doctor stepped away from the van and glanced around the area.

“What's happening?”

“ _Repeat, Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated._ ”

Motioning for Amy to follow the Doctor, Chloe went over to the duck pond, breath catching as a duck and her four ducklings were swimming in it. She knew the hidden meaning behind “Pond with No Ducks”, and to see it...

“-and I've got a post office. And it's shut. What is that then Chloe?”

“It's just… a duck pond,” she mumbled, shaking her head and stepping away.

“But you’re surprised that there are ducks there,” he noted before turning a suspicious eye towards the ducks. “Are they supposed to be there?”

“Not… technically. But me being here, it affects the universe and the people around it. Ducks being there… that’s a wonderful thing Doctor.” she finished with a grin, but it quickly fell as the Doctor clutched his chest and sat on the ground.

“This is too soon. I'm not ready, I'm not done yet.” he mumbled as the sky began to darken.

“What's happening? Why's it going dark?” For a moment, an eclipse happened before it returned to normal, sending a shiver down her spine. “So what's wrong with the sun?”

“Nothing. You're looking at it through a forcefield. They've sealed off your upper atmosphere. Now they're getting ready to boil the planet.” Taking her outstretched hand, he stood up and looked at the villagers. “Oh, and here they come. The human race. The end comes, as it was always going to, down a video phone.”

“This isn't real, is it? This is some kind of big wind up.”

“Why would we wind you up?”

“You told me you had a time machine.” Amy accused.

“And you believed me.”

“Then I grew up.”

The Doctor groaned. “Oh, you never want to do that. No. Hang on. Shut up. Wait. I missed it.” he smacked his forehead and she grabbed his hands to stop him with a small noise. “I saw it and I missed it. What did I see? I saw. What did I see? I saw, I saw, I saw…” he trailed off, eyes snapping to where she knew Rory was taking a photo of Prisoner Zero before turning to Amy, voice pleading. “Twenty minutes. I can do it. Twenty minutes, the planet burns. Run to your loved ones and say goodbye, or stay and help me.”

“No.”

“I'm sorry?”

“No!” Grabbing the Doctor by the tie, Chloe watched on in amusement, unsure if she should step in or not.

“Amy, no, no, what are you doing?” She didn’t answer. Rather, she pushed him against a car and slammed his tie into the door, locking it with the remote. “Are you out of your mind?”

“Who are you two?”

“You know who we are,” Chloe told her, getting a disgruntled look.

“No, really. Who are you?”

“Look at the sky. End of the world, twenty minutes.”

“Well, better talk quickly, then.”

“Amy, I am going to need my car back.” The driver sighed.

“Yes, in a bit. Now go and have coffee.” the younger redhead ordered, to which the man just shook his head.

“Right, yes.”

Chloe motioned towards the Doctor’s pocket, and he pulled out the apple, which had yet to brown. “Catch. I'm the Doctor. I'm a time traveller. Everything I told you twelve years ago is true. I'm real. What's happening in the sky is real, and if you don't let me go right now, everything you've ever known is over.”

“I don't believe you.”

He reached forward, grabbing her wrist. “Just twenty minutes. Just believe me for twenty minutes. Look at it. Fresh as the day you gave it to me. And you know it's the same one.” Both of them could see the nineteen-year old’s hesitance. “Amy, believe for twenty minutes.”

As Amy moved to unlock the car, Chloe nodded towards the Doctor and ran towards Rory. “Hi, Rory, yes, I’m Chloe, yes, I exist, and yes, I know your name without anyone telling you. I need the photos you’ve taken of the coma ward patients.”

“Amy?” Rory asked as the Doctor and other redhead rushed beside her.

“Hi! Oh, this is Rory, he's a friend.” Pond said, making Chloe’s nose scrunch up.

“Boyfriend.” her and Rory corrected together. She didn’t hesitate in continuing as he paused. “You really shouldn’t be so dismissive of him; Rory is a perfect gentleman. I know several people where I’m from absolutely love him.”

“I’m sorry?” Rory blinked.

“Yeah, well, he’s mine,” Amy snapped, making her smirk as the younger redhead realized what she had just done.

“Man and dog. Why?” The Doctor said, sounding a bit strained.

“Oh my God, it's him. Wait, that means,”

“Just answer his question, please.” Amy sighed.

“It's them, though. The Doctor and Chloe. The Raggedy Doctor and Auntie Chloe.”

“Wait, ‘ _Auntie_ ’?” she cut in.

“Yeah, they came back.”

“But they were a story. They were a game.” Rory kept saying, and she couldn’t deny how curious she was as she turned to Amy, who was flushed.

“Man and dog. Why? Tell me now.”

“Sorry. Because he can't be there. Because he's-”

“In a hospital, in a coma.” The Doctor finished alongside him, turning right towards her. “Knew it, multiform, just like you said! Disguise itself as anything, but it needs a live feed. A psychic link with a living but dormant mind.” She raised an eyebrow.

“He’s been here _years_ ,” she reminded him just as the man started barking at them. “Ah, always a lovely interruption,”

“Prisoner Zero.”

Tuning out Amy’s and Rory’s bickering, she reached out, slipping her arm around the Doctor (who seemed to jump and glance at her curiously) and reached into his pocket, pulling out the sonic as she watched the spaceship come down towards Earth. Keeping her hand behind his back, she activated it while the Doctor talking, looking at the ship.

“See, that ship up there is scanning this area for non-terrestrial technology. And nothing says non-terrestrial like a sonic screwdriver.” A second later, the streetlights began to explode as car alarms went off and some poor woman’s scooter zoomed down the road. A second later, she saw the fire engine moving across the road, siren blaring. “I think someone's going to notice, don't you?”

The ship was coming towards them, but the red telephone box exploded, making the sonic spark and die. “Dead,” she muttered, shaking her head.

“No, no! No, don't do that!” he pouted, taking it from her. 

“This is why you should carry spares,” she reminded him.

“Look, it's going.” Rory said, making the Doctor jolt and start waving his arms.

“No, come back. He's here! Come back! He's here. Prisoner Zero is here. Come back, he's here! Prisoner Zero is-”

With a sigh, she shook her head as Prisoner Zero went down the drain, stepping away from the Doctor.

“The drain. It just sort of melted and went down the drain.” Amy gasped.

“Well, of course it did.” the Doctor muttered.

“What do we do now?” Amy asked.

“It's hiding in human form. We need to drive it into the open. No Tardis, no screwdriver, seventeen minutes, all hints used up. Come on, think. Think!”

“So that thing, that hid in my house for twelve years?”

The Doctor waved the woman off. “Multiforms can live for millennia. Twelve years is a pit-stop.”

“So how come you show up again on the same day that lot do? The same minute!”

“They followed us,” Chloe answered. “Remember that night? They saw us through the crack and tracked us. Since we were late, they were too.”

“What's she on about?”

“Nurse boy, give me your phone.”

“Doctor, manners!” She chided as he grabbed the phone, flipping through the images.

“These photos, are they all coma patients? No, they're all the multiform. Eight comas, eight disguises for Prisoner Zero.”

“He had a dog, though. There's a dog in a coma?” Amy asked.

“Well, the coma patient dreams he's walking a dog, Prisoner Zero gets a dog. Laptop! Your friend, what was his name? Not him, the good-looking one.” he paused, and pointed a finger towards Chloe. “Don’t.”

“I was just going to say he’s not that good looking, but ok,” she shrugged

“Jeff,” Amy answered, and she noticed how Rory was scowling.

“Oh, thanks.”

“He had a laptop in his bag. A laptop. Big bag, big laptop. I need Jeff's laptop. You two, get to the hospital. Get everyone out of that ward. Clear the whole floor. Phone me when you're done. Chloe, love, with me.”

“I’m sorry, _what_?” She bit out, but the Doctor ignored her, tugging her along as they ran back towards Jeff’s place. Figuring she wasn’t going to get an answer, she did her best not to stumble as the Doctor opened the door, trying to take Jeff’s laptop from him.

“Hello. Laptop. Give me.”

“Doctor, you’re being rude,” she chided. “Sorry, it’s literally life or death of the entire planet.”

The man paled, still trying to close the browser that she was desperately trying to not look at. “Hang on!”

Rolling her eyes, she let the Doctor take the laptop, his face immediately disgusted. “Blimey. Get a girlfriend, Jeff.” She saw the man glance towards her and immediately shook her head.

Mrs. Angelo entered the room a second later, glancing between the three of them. “What are you doing?”

The Doctor barely even glanced up from where he was typing. “The sun's gone wibbly, so right now, somewhere out there, there's going to be a big old video conference call. All the experts in the world panicking at once, and do you know what they need? Me. Ah, and here they all are. All the big boys. NASA, Jodrell Bank, Tokyo Space Centre, Patrick Moore.”

She couldn’t help but lean over his shoulder. “What about Elon Musk?” she asked quietly in partial disgust.

“Not for another six years,” he replied.

“You can't just hack in on a call like that.” Jeff said.

“Can't I?”

Finally, six other faces came up on the screen, and the Doctor flashed the psychic paper.

“ _Chloe Nightingale, is that you?_ ” The man she knew to be Patrick Moore said, and she immediately looked at the Doctor with a raised eyebrow.

“ _This is a secure call, what are you doing here?_ ”

“Hello. Yeah, I know you should switch me off, but before you do, watch this,” he sent something before glancing at her. “What? Does my face look weird when I do that?”

Unable to stop herself, she laughed, shaking her head. “No, your face looks wonderful.” Distantly, she could hear her mental sirens blaring as the Time Lord beamed.

Then, he turned towards the conference, his smile falling a second later. “Fermat's Theorem, the proof. And I mean the real one. Never been seen before. Poor old Fermat, got killed in a duel before he could write it down. My fault. I slept in. Oh, and here's an oldie but a goodie. Why electrons have mass. And a personal favorite of mine, faster than light travel with two diagrams and a joke. Look at your screens. Whoever I am, I'm a genius. Look at the sun. You need all the help you can get. Fellas, pay attention.”

“ _Sir, what are you doing?_ ” The man from NASA demanded.

“He’s writing a virus,” she replied. “It’ll be sent to your computers, and it’ll be up to you and everyone who works for you to get it everywhere. Emails, text, facebook, twitter, Youtube, radar, anything you can get. Any questions?”

“ _What does this virus do?_ ” someone, she wasn’t sure, asked, and she stepped back, out of frame.

“It's a reset command, that's all.,” the Doctor answered. “It resets counters. It gets in the wifi and resets every counter it can find. Clocks, calendars, anything with a chip will default at zero at exactly the same time. But yeah, I could be lying, why should you trust me? I'll let my best man explain.” Turning towards Jeff, he spoke quietly. “Jeff, you're my best man.”

“You what?”

“Listen to me. In ten minutes, you're going to be a legend. In ten minutes, everyone on that screen is going to be offering you any job you want. But first, you have to be magnificent. You have to make them trust you and get them working. This is it, Jeff, right here, right now. This is when you fly. Today's the day you save the world.”

“Nice speech,” she murmured, drumming her fingers on her arm.

“Why me?” Jeff demanded.

“It's your bedroom. Now go, go, go.”

* * *

She didn’t trust herself to drive the fire truck, so when the cell rang, she picked it up. “Look in the mirror,” she immediately said. “And don’t trust everything you see. Appearances can be deceiving.”

“Amy?” he asked as she hung up.

“Couldn’t get through the police,” she replied.

“Did she look in a mirror?”

Laughing at the quip, she shook her head. “Faster. We need to get in the coma ward. First floor, fourth from end.”

“Chloe, you are absolutely-”

“Amazing in every way?” she finished in a teasing tone, grinning wider at his pout.

* * *

A few seconds before the window was smashed, she set the text message and began to climb. “No, three minutes to go. So still time.” she heard the Doctor say before she finished crawling through.

“Time for what, Time Lord?” Prisoner Zero asked, making the Doctor scoff.

“Take the disguise off. They'll find you in a heartbeat. Nobody dies.”

“The Atraxi will kill me this time. If I am to die, let there be fire.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t’ve escaped,” she snapped.

“You came to this world by opening a crack in space and time. Do it again. Just leave,” the Doctor pleaded, but Chloe shook her head.

“Cracks like that can’t be simply made, Doctor,” she sighed.

“Somebody made them,” he argued with her.

Prisoner Zero heard them and began to laugh. “The cracks in the skin of the universe, don't you know where they came from? You don't, do you?” Suddenly, the woman’s voice tilted up, going into the little girl’s. “The Doctor in the Tardis doesn't know. Doesn't know. Doesn't know! But the Songbird knows all.” And just like that, Zero’s voice was back to the woman’s. “The universe is cracked. The Pandorica will open. Silence will fall. The Songbird will die.”

Chloe shivered in horror, knowing full well that the Songbird had to be her. “Doctor,” she whispered, but he just took her hand and squeezed it as the clock went to 00:00.

“And we're off! Look at that. Look at that! Yeah, I know, just a clock. Whatever. But do you know what's happening right now? In one little bedroom, my team are working. Jeff and the world. And do you know what they're doing? They're spreading the word all over the world, quantum fast. The word is out. And do you know what the word is? The word is Zero. Now, me, if I was up in the sky in a battleship, monitoring all Earth communications, I'd probably take that as a hint. And if I had a whole battle fleet surrounding the planet, I'd be able track a simple old computer virus to its source in, what, under a minute? The source, by the way, is right here.” He held up the cellphone, and she swallowed, remembering what was coming next.

“Rory,” she said quietly. “Get ready to catch Amy.”

“Why would he have to catch me?” Amy asked, making Chloe shake her head sadly.

“Twelve years…”

A bright light shone through the windows, and her grip tightened a little bit more. A small part of her wondered if she was crushing the Doctor’s hand, but he was still within the first 15 hours of regeneration, so he’d be ok… right?

“Oh! And I think they just found us!”

“The Atraxi are limited. While I'm in this form, they'll still be unable to detect me. They've tracked a phone, not me.”

“Except there are photos on the phone,” she said. “Photos of you, out and about, of every form you’ve used.”

“And it’s being uploaded about now. And the final score is, no Tardis, no screwdriver, two minutes to spare. Who da man?” He looked at her with wide, green eyes, but she just shook her head. “Oh, I'm never saying that again.”

“Then I shall take a new form.” Zero sneered, making the Doctor scoff.

“Oh, stop it. You know you can't. It takes months to form that kind of psychic link.”

“And I've had years.” Rory gasped and thankfully, caught Amy before she could fall too far.

“No! Amy? You've got to hold on. Amy? Don't sleep! You've got to stay awake, please.”

“Doctor,” Rory muttered, looking at Prisoner Zero. She knew that it would, in some form, show the Doctor and little Amelia, so instead, she knelt beside Amy.

“Well, that's rubbish. Who's that supposed to be?”

“It's you,” she and Rory answered at the same time.

“Me? Is that what I look like? You like that chin?” She almost snorted, instead rolling her eyes and moving to whisper in the redhead’s ear. 

“Amy, listen to me. I need you to remember the room, the one you couldn’t see until 20 minutes ago. You went inside, and we tried to stop you. You went inside Amy; you need to dream about what you saw. Remember what you saw,”

“No. No. No!” She heard Zero scream as it transformed. 

“Well done, Prisoner Zero. A perfect impersonation of yourself.”

“ _Prisoner Zero is located. Prisoner Zero is restrained._ ” the Atraxi guard said, and Prisoner Zero snarled.

“Silence and death, Doctor. Silence will fall and the Songbird will die.”

As she stood up, the Doctor engulfed her into a hug, making her laugh a little. “You,” he declared, pulling back, looking so troubled, yet happy. “Are absolutely brilliant. But-”

“You hate it when I take your lines,” she finished, sticking her tongue out at him.

“The sun. It's back to normal, right? That's, that's good, yeah? That means it's over.” Rory asked as Amy stirred. “Amy. Are you okay? Are you with us?"

"What happened?” She murmured

“They did it. The Doctor and Chloe did it.”

“No, I didn't.” he interrupted, doing something on the phone.

“What are you doing?”

“Tracking the signal back. Sorry in advance.”

“About what?”

“The bill.” she sighed, rubbing her face. “Universal roaming, in the most literal sense. Quite a bill.”

“Oi, I didn't say you could go! Article fifty-seven of the Shadow Proclamation. This is a fully established level five planet, and you were going to burn it? What? Did you think no-one was watching? You lot, back here, now.” Hanging up, she shook her head and began to walk towards the locker room. “Okay, now I've done it. Where are you going?”

“To get your clothes!”

* * *

“What's in here?” Amy asked as she began to look through the bins, trying to figure out where the tweed was.

“I’m saving the world - I need a decent shirt. To hell,” Chloe let out an exaggerated gasp, getting a playful warning look. “With the raggedy. Time to put on a show.”

Rory, meanwhile, was about to have a conniption fit. “You just summoned aliens back to Earth. Actual aliens, deadly aliens, aliens of death, and,” Chloe turned around just in time to see the Doctor taking off his shirt, making her let out a slightly embarrassed noise. “Now you're taking your clothes off. Amy, he's taking his clothes off.”

“Turn your back if it embarrasses you,” he said over his shoulder, taking the clothes she offered. “Oh, this looks lovely.”

“Are you stealing clothes now? Those clothes belong to people, you know.” he noticed Amy hadn’t turned yet and frowned. “Are you not going to turn your back?”

“No,” she said.

“Yes,” Chloe corrected, grabbing her shoulders and turning her before going and grabbing the bowties. She couldn’t remember what color he had originally. Was it red? Or was it purple?

* * *

As they got to the roof, she had a hoodie on, hiding her face as she walked beside the Doctor,, holding up the different bowties with a frown. “Which one looks better?” she asked.

“Let’s see,” suddenly, the black bowtie was gently wrapped around her neck, making her roll her eyes.

“You goof,” he grinned but chose the red tie.

“So this was a good idea, was it?” Amy snorted. “They were leaving.”

“They violated laws by threatening Earth, Amy. They need to be reminded that Earth is protected before they leave,” she informed her.

“Leaving is good.” The Doctor agreed. “Never coming back is better. Come on, then! The Doctor will see you now.”

An eyeball dropped to the roof and scanned the Doctor. “You are not of this world.”

“No, but I've put a lot of work into it,” he said, putting the tie on crooked and turning towards her. “What do you think?”

“Is this world important?” The Atraxi asked, making her wince.

“Important? What's that mean, important? Six billion people live here. Is that important? Here's a better question. Is this world a threat to the Atraxi? Well, come on. You're monitoring the whole planet. Is this world a threat?” he demanded, and a projection of the world appeared between them.

“No.”

“Are the peoples of this world guilty of any crime by the laws of the Atraxi?” he continued.

“No.”

“Okay. One more. Just one. Is this world protected? Because you're not the first lot to come here. Oh, there have been so many.” The projection showed Daleks, Cybermen, the Autons, the Master (and Missy but thankfully the Doctor didn’t seem to recognize her) and quite a few others she didn’t recognize. “And what you've got to ask is, what happened to them?” The projection began showing the previous Doctors, but at 9, a projection of her appeared, and while her appearance seemed to shift a little (and she had straight hair) her face mostly stayed the same. Finally, it lingered on 10 as the 11th Doctor stepped through, jacket on and bowtie straight. “Hello. I'm the Doctor. Basically, run.”

Watching as the eye widened, glanced at her and them zoomed back to the ship, the said thing leaving very, _very_ fast. They stood in silence for a second before the sound of the TARDIS materializing came, causing the Doctor to take a glowing key out of his pocket. Sharing a look, she let out a laugh as she raced down the stairs after him.

There, in the garden, was the TARDIS, a slightly darker shade of blue.

“Okay, what have you got for us this time?” he breathed, unlocking the door and stepping through, Chloe right behind him. “Look at you. Oh, you sexy thing! Look at you.”


	19. One Little Trip (Intermission)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe meets two people she's never seen before and is asked a dangerous question

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After this is "Rose" ;)

Chloe glanced around the brand new desktop, grinning a bit as she remembered her first time in this version of the TARDIS. Looking back now, it had been lonely, perhaps a bit sad, but back then, it felt so dreamlike, yet real.

“So, where to first?” the Doctor asked, stepping in front of her, and she paused.

“Doctor, I have to get home,” she reminded him, and his face fell slightly. “And then you have to find your version of me, because I can promise you I will be pissed if you don’t immediately come for me before getting Amy.”

He paled at that. “Right,” he murmured. “You’re with Gabby and Cindy. They’re going to have a right fit themselves.”

“Gabby and Cindy?” she repeated. “Those are two companions I’ve never heard of. Comics then?”

“Oh, you hated yourself for not being able to catch all of them,” at his grin, she huffed, looking away dramatically.

“DWA and DWM were UK only magazines, space dunce. Besides, once I found out they existed, I couldn’t find them online _anywhere_.” Ok, maybe she was pouting a little, but seriously? Two companions that she had no knowledge on? Ok, putting it like that sounded creepy.

“Do you want to meet them now?” he asked, making her blink.

“But my future self-”

“The timelines are merging to this point; I think you’re supposed to meet,” he cut in. making her sigh.

“I’d like to meet them,” she finally said. “Do you ever bring them to a session?”

“No, but I tried not talking about them. You always made the mention you didn’t know anything about our adventures then,” he answered, moving around the console, but stopped as she touched his arm. “Chlo?”

“You just regenerated, and fifteen minutes ago, you were spewing out energy saying how you weren’t ready to be running around yet. You’re taking a nap,” she ordered.

“But-”

“Sleep first, companions second,” she continued, pushing him away from the console. “I don’t want you to go into a coma again.” He sighed at this, obviously expecting it.

“I suppose a few hours won’t hurt,” the Doctor said. “You have to sleep as well. It was one when I saw you.”

“It has been a long day,” she admitted quietly. She wasn’t sure how to phrase it otherwise. Not even an hour ago, she had been worrying about Rose and how she had only just started to walk short distances without a cane, and how here she was in 2008, talking to a recently regenerated Doctor after saving the world from being destroyed.

“Here, let’s get you to your room.” he said, and they began to walk. “Your room is directly tied to your timeline, so you won’t get spoilers you don’t already know.”

“The old girl really is amazing,” she said, getting an approving hum from both the Doctor and the TARDIS. They stopped in front of a cherry wood door, the image of a common Nightingale etched in the center panel.

“This appeared after our stay at Justica,” he explained quietly. “She was rather insistent that we get our timeline of you once we dropped _you_ off.”

“So, can I ask when I became known as ‘Songbird’?” she asked, immediately getting a grimace. “Spoilers, then. It’s not on a scale of Bad _Wolf_ is it?”

The Doctor’s brow pinched and three words she thought she’d never hear from this regeneration sounded. “What’s _Bad Wolf_?”

* * *

For once since she got here, not even the sounds the TARDIS made could put her to sleep.

_W_ _hat’s Bad Wolf?_

How could the Doctor not remember Rose taking the vortex in her head to save him? How she became the Goddess of Time and Space to stop the Dalek Emperor? The more she thought of it, the more it became messy.

By the time she heard the Doctor knocking on the door, the TARDIS had given up trying to make her sleep, and had instead given her a nice sweater dress and some leggings. “Good morning,” he said. “How’d you sleep?”

“Good,” she lied with a grin, feeling horrible. “I can’t wait to meet Gabby and Cindy!”

* * *

Gabriella Gonzalez and Cindy Wu were both wonderful people who just shook their heads as her future self slammed into the Doctor before he could even step out of the TARDIS, making them fall backwards. “I’ll just close this,” Gabby said, shutting the door and turning towards her. “Wow, you’re…”

“Young?” she finished. “I just have one question: how the hell did you end up with the space dunce? Like, you guys are amazing, and brilliant, and yeah, ok, I can see why he brought you along.”

“He only offered one trip,” Gabby admitted. “And after I fell through the vortex and was caught by… his twelfth body? I think it was twelfth. Anyways, after that, Cindy and I decided we’d go back to Earth for a while.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, because it was all she could think. This woman had fallen through the vortex and was ok?! How?! Why?! Or, rather, why did 12 have to be the one to catch her?! “I can’t stay long, and you really can’t tell me anymore about your adventures but… maybe you guys can tell me what you do here back on Earth?”

* * *

The date was January 21st, 2005, 10:34 am, and Chloe couldn’t believe her eyes.

9 had came in, looking incredibly… nervous? Worried? She didn’t know what to call it, but it was sending her on edge, which she was desperately trying to hide.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, setting the tea in front of him.

“How much information did this show give?”

“It depends on if it made it into an episode,” she replied. “I couldn’t afford the books or comics, and I know there were references to both, but I don’t know how deep they go, why?”

“Something happened, a few weeks ago, and we got into a row. I wanted to lock away information, but you didn’t want to forget.”

“I see,” she mumbled. “Doctor, you have to understand, my mind is literally the only thing I have left of my home dimension. I’ve learned to cherish all the memories I make, because you’ll never know when everything will be gone. You asked if you could lock away my memories; were these memories when I met a future version of me? Or that if I didn’t forget, the world or something else would implode?”

“No,” he answered. “But it wouldn’t hurt to hide them.”

“Perhaps to you,” she said. “But what happens if something triggers the memories and I remember? I’d be devastated to learn memories had been taken away for no reason.” She hesitated, unsure if she should continue.

“There’s more,” he noted. “You wouldn’t just be devastated.”

“I wouldn’t be able to trust you anymore.”


	20. Rose (Arc 1 Ending)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of Arc 1...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Chapter 21 is less a chapter and move like another intermission, as chapter 22 begins Arc 2, AKA what I've been calling the Taragrea IV Arc.

Chloe woke up to her phone ringing right beside her ear, making her groan as she pawed at it. “Ello?” she mumbled.

“ _Loey, we need you in Hub 3. We’ve got readings off the charts here._ ” Jack’s voice said, making her groan again.

“Kay, lemme just… get ready,” she said, finishing with a yawn. Cutting the call, she rolled out of bed and went into the bathroom, squinting at her reflection. After a few moments, she sniffed and reached for her dry shampoo, groaning as the container sprayed nothing. "Oh it's going to be one of _those_ days," she muttered, grabbing her towel from the basket outside the door and turning on the shower as she undressed. No water began to spray 

Staring at the faucet in betrayal and half naked, she glanced at her 2005 phone and wanted to cry at the text from Rose.

_Pup: 28th had their place flood so the entire building is shut off._

"Why didn't I check this before?" Moving back into her bedroom, she grimaced as she picked up a wrinkled pair of slacks and what she prayed to be a clean button up. The second she started to tie her hair back, the band snapped, catching her ear, making her close her eyes and take a deep breath.

She was highly considering _not_ saving the world today.

* * *

Hub 3 turned out to have figured out what was happening moments before she got on the elevator; it was an Auton invasion, but they couldn't find out where it was based at.

"Don't bother," Chloe said, eyeing Sato's lunch that was sitting close to the edge uneasily. "The Doctor will fix this one. All we can really do is ensure there's minimal foot traffic at any malls or on the streets."

"Which Doctor?" Jack asked, but she shook her head.

"This is when Rose joins, Jack. Tomorrow, she'll be listed as missing, possibly killed." 

"And we can't stop her from going?" Owen asked, making the redhead scowl.

"No, we can't. Rose Tyler heals the Doctor in ways I can't. If you even suggest that to me again, or try to stop her, I can guarantee you will _not_ like the results."

“Calm down Loey, no one is going to stop it,” Jack soothed. “That being said, I’ll see if we can’t get a curfew placed. Don’t you have lunch with Rose you need to get to?” The man nodded towards the clock, and Chloe cursed, jumping to her feet, watching in slow motion as there was a chain reaction that ended with Sato’s food all over her shoes. “Rough day?”

“Don’t even start,” she grumbled.

* * *

"Sit down!" Rose said, and it took everything for Chloe not to cringe as she realized that both her and Mickey were sitting on the edge of the fountain. "Just us mates, yeah?"

Ok, this time she did flinch, as did Mickey, though he had a different reason. After her split from James, she had been bouncing from men to men, but she never even once gave Mickey a glance, and she could tell the poor boy was head over heels for her. She couldn't possibly point him towards Martha, not yet. They both had to travel with the Doctor before they could be introduced. Rose tugged on her hand, and normally, she wouldn't budge, but she was distracted (or maybe she had gotten cursed) and so when the blonde tugged… Chloe followed, head first right into the fountain.

For a few moments, she laid in the water, dumbfounded before there was a flurry and she was being pulled out, the curls being pushed out of her face. "You alright?" A familiar voice questioned, making her blink and release the breath she had been holding as she glanced around, her sight slowly returning to her. Rose was crying into her hands, Mickey was holding her, there were a few worried bystandards and…

The 9th Doctor was checking her head for injuries. "I-I'm fine," she croaked out. "Just had a bad luck streak today."

"Oh?"

"No water in the flat, had an emergency at work that had me skip breakfast only for them to solve it just before I got in, had a coworker's food spill on me…" she trailed off, faking a wince as the Time Lord probed the top of her head. "Wish I could just skip the day," she half-joked.

"I'm so sorry!" Rose sobbed, making her sigh before giving the Doctor a grin.

"I'll be fine," she told him. "I'm sure you have better things to do." Shifting away, she slowly got up and went to the blonde, pulling her into a sopping wet hug.

* * *

By 3, it seemed her bad luck was finally fading, especially with her latest visitor.

“Repple!” She gasped, pulling the droid into a hug. “It’s been a while.” Pulling him into the living room, she motioned for him to sit down on the couch.

“You’re still alive,” he noted in disbelief. “But that was almost eighty years ago.”

“It was only a couple for me,” she admitted. “The Doctor, he’s a time traveller. Sometimes, if we’re lucky, he takes a few of us with him. We see stars being born and worlds die within days.”

“That sounds…” he paused, tilting his head. “Lonely. Sad.”

“I suppose it is, in a way. We all stop travelling eventually,” she admitted quietly. “I had only been promised two trips. One to the past and one to the future. He’s coming back for the proper me that Rose knows… I think. I-I hope.”

“The Doctor would be a fool to leave you behind, Miss Nightingale. You acted with such grace, I daresay you fit the role you had perfectly.” Chloe shook her head, mind flashing to another woman with curly hair, but this one having a catchphrase and knowing smirk.

“No, there’s someone far more suited to be the Doctor’s companion than me. Several, in fact. One of them is even his wife.” She wanted to laugh at Repple’s ‘gasp’. “It’s in the future,” she assured him. “About another three hundred or so years.”

“She might be you, in the end,” Repple offered, and this time, Chloe did bark out a laugh, though it was a bit self-hating.

“Repple, trust me, I know who the Doctor marries, and that woman is not me. That woman is - she’s perfect for him! She’s sassy, toned, curvy, blonde, and tall! She can easily keep up with him without note cards or-or cheat sheets.” Looking away, her tone turned bitter. “I’m _nothing_ like River.”

* * *

Watching the explosion happen on a fictional television show was one thing, but seeing the very real news report on it while your neighbor panicked, not sure if her daughter had been in the building was another thing all entirely.

Part of her was grateful Rose knew that Jackie would be in her apartment instead of theirs, especially as the blonde all but threw the door open and slammed into their arms, pale and shaking. Pulling back enough, Chloe could see the pain in the blonde’s eyes and nodded slightly.

“Let’s go get you your medicine, ok?”

* * *

Repple had left the clockwork cat with her when he had left, so she had to remove the screws from the cat flap on her door, which proved to be… interesting, the next morning, as she walked out of her bedroom and saw the cat just… sitting in the hall, looking at the Doctor, who was frowning at his sonic.

For half a second, she wanted to confront him, but instead, she shook her head, stepping back out of view before shutting the bedroom door with an exaggerated yawn. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the cat flap close so fast, she almost laughed.

Instead, she sat down at the table, pulled out her modern cell phone and started the timer for twelve hours before setting it down on the table and letting out a breath.

“Here begins Forever, Rosie.” she murmured.

* * *

When the timer went off, she pulled on her coat, placed her concealed weapon in the inner pocket and made her way towards the Eye, making sure to tell as many as possible of the curfew that had been imposed. She caught sight of Donna once, and thought she saw Martha, but instead of seeing if it was really her, she continued on, pausing as she saw four autons dragging the TARDIS underground. Shaking her head, she just pulled out her phone, not even bothered as it went to voicemail.

“I just watched it get taken underground. I’m going to clear the landing area before going back to the hub,” she said before hanging up, jogging a few blocks away, looking down the allies until she nodded at the graffiti, but it was… different. Something she couldn’t read. “Alien or am I just dumb?” she mumbled, starting to reach forward before shaking her head.

There wasn’t anyone there, auton or nonauton, so she went back out the ally, leaning against the corner until she heard the familiar vworping and grinding of the TARDIS’s brakes. Part of her wanted to eavesdrop, to see if she made a difference in Rose’s recruitment, but instead, she turned her head and walked away.


	21. The Year of Waiting (Interlude)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe gets a visitor she didn't want...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this just kinda glosses over, like, most of the year, but that's mainly because this chapter is very big for an interlude.
> 
> Some sad news before we begin. Today, July 24th, 2020 around 6:21 am, Tiger passed away. He was 16 and loved very much.

Chloe had only gotten a few blocks away when an arm linked up around hers in a grip that was painful, making her grimace as she debated on who she’d see if she glanced up. Would it be Missy or a pissed off Doctor?

Glancing around, she risked glancing, and the man gave her a grin that, to anyone else, would seem playfully flirtatious, but to her, it was as if the world had ended, because instead of the familiar brown eyes 10 was supposed to have, he sported blood-curling red eyes.

“Hello, Songbird. You’re quite the elusive one.” Her mouth was dry and her tongue felt like sandpaper as she swallowed thickly, unsure what to say, other than note that she was, once again, being called Songbird. “What, no hello’s or greetings? You’ve lost manners.”

“Valeyard,” she finally choked out as the world went dark and his grin grew.

* * *

When she woke up, she could feel the TARDIS screaming in agony, fear, and anger as she realized she was tied to the console, the Valeyard sitting on the jumpseat with his feet on one of the console panels. “What did you do to me?” She demanded, voice hoarse as if she had been screaming.

“Oh, just ensuring you didn’t run off like last time,” he replied with such nonchalance it sickened her.

“Why do you exist?”

He snapped the book he had in his hands shut, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “Now that is a very rude question, little Birdie. Why does anyone exist? Why do _you_ exist?”

“I was brought here,” she spat out. “You were forced into being. What made life so horrible, you decided to be so angry about it, it had to carry into regeneration?”

"I lost everything," he snarled. "I sacrificed everything, and for what? Those fucking stupid apes went and killed themselves looking in the vortex."

 _He's… angry about Bad Wolf?_ She thought, unsure what to do. But why the 'they', unless…

"You're not from this world, but the one you came from, you had multiple companions you sent back instead of just Rose," she murmured.

"Ding ding ding, we have a winner!" Valeyard said, his tone so sarcastic is hurt. "I was too soft, last face. I should've left them to die."

"Jack and Rose," she breathed. "You sent Jack back when he should've stayed."

"Stop," he snapped. "No more talking, Songbird. Rumor of the multiverse says you're from the Alpha Universe, which means you have knowledge I want."

"Oh, fuck off," she groaned before she could stop herself. "Unless you want to become the Doctor again, I'm not telling you shit." A hand was suddenly crushing her jaw, forcing her to look up as her eyes watered in pain.

"Final warning," he hissed. "Unless you want your tongue cut out. Do not speak until spoken too, _ape._ ”

When he let go of her face, she didn’t say anything, instead glaring at him with a heavy heart as he calmly began to walk around the console.

* * *

Knowing what Valeyard would and could do, it didn’t do any justice to what he had done, and not in the good way. Chloe saw through watery eyes a scorched Earth, charred skeletons of men, women and children all around, their placements telling her that they had been fleeing when the Earth burned. Her ears rung as the Valeyard tugged on the chains she was tied to, and she stumbled after him, desperately trying to look for any signs of life under the new, blood-red sky.

“You won’t find anything, Songbird,” he said. “I killed everything here to begin anew.” 

She wanted to ask if he had found the Pandorica or Missy’s box, but she didn’t want to tell him about Amy or Missy. Not the Valeyard, at least. But, then again, would Pandorica hold Amy? Would Missy exist? Her heart ached at the thought, but she saw something out of the corner of her eye, something that had her wanting to sob.

There, sprayed on one of the ruined walls, were two worlds that filled her with hope. _Bad Wolf._

She hadn’t realized they stopped until Valeyard let an annoyed noise sound. “So you know what that wretched phrasing is then. Tell me,” he demanded, and she just grinned sadly.

“It means hope isn’t lost,” she said.

“ _Hope,_ ” he scoffed. “Is a lie. It’s a fool’s dream.”

* * *

There were a few humans left, she found out later as they stopped in what used to be Trafalgar Square, the survivors having set up an ambush with electric nets set to the maximum. Valeyard went down, and she was left to awkwardly stare that the shocked humans. “Erm,” she began. “Hi?”

“Miss’ll want to see this,” one human spoke up, and she twisted her neck to see Clara Oswald staring back.

“Miss?” she asked, brows furrowing. They didn’t answer, instead picking up the chain she was on and the group as a whole gave her a curious look. “I was just walking down the street in my dimension when he came and knocked me out. Seems pretty insistent that I know stuff.”

“We better move,” Clara said, and Chloe quickly followed. She did her best to keep her eyes down, trying not to look at the dead as they came to a halt in front of Coal Hill, the brunette turning to her. “What’s your name then?”

“Chloe,” she answered quietly. “Chloe Nightingale.” She watched the woman’s face carefully, looking for any sign of recognition, but there was nothing.

“Well then,” she said. “I’m sorry this happened, Miss Nightingale.” Grabbing her wrist (not the chain or the shackle, but her _wrist_ ) she led her inside, where she saw children, men, and women of all ages peeking out of the repurposed classrooms.

Finally, they came to a stop in front of one of the rooms, and the door opened to reveal-

“Valeyard kidnapped her,” Clara told her. “We can’t get the chains off.”

“No,” The Master mused, looking right at the redhead. “The only one who can break those is Miss Songbird herself.” Chloe furrowed her brows, glancing between Missy and her hands before reaching over and doing her best to yank the cuff off. It resisted for about three seconds before snapping, making her blink and look back at Missy.

“Please tell me you know what the everloving fuck went wrong in this dimension,” she begged.

The Time Lady looked over her before nodding to Clara in dismissal. “Come in,” she replied. “We have much to discuss.”

* * *

In the end, she had guessed correctly that he had sent Jack and Rose back, but she hadn’t guessed why.

“They _both_ looked into the heart?” she murmured. “The delay it would’ve caused, using two pilots, they would’ve gotten there-”

“Just as the Doctor set off the Delta Wave,” Missy finished. “They were still alive, and with the heart in their heads…”

“The Doctor killed them and almost killed the TARDIS,” she assumed, but Missy shook her head.

“He was angry, desperate, and holding off regeneration. He jumped back and stole it from his past self just as he sealed the two inside. Reapers came, but by the time they found the TARDIS, the Doctor was gone, and in his place was their commander. The man, Jack, he only knew that Valeyard was dangerous and tried to take him out. It got him killed instead. Rose Tyler jumped into the vortex to get away from him.”

“Damnit,” she muttered. “This apparently wasn’t his first time trying to get me. He said earlier I had run away, multiple times in fact.”

“So you must be someone of interest in your world then,” she noted, making Chloe shrug.

“I’ve traveled with the Doctor a couple of times,” she replied. “I’m more of a… static companion? Our timelines don’t really match up just yet.”

“You’re a companion who has seen multiple regenerations, as well as being a living construct,” she mused. “What caused you to change species, I wonder? An accident? Experiment? One of the ones from the War, perhaps?”

Grimacing, she looked down at her hands, unsure what to say. This Missy, she was _nice_ , and so much like the redeemed one her world was going to have, but… she was still the Master. “There was… an accident that sent me through dimensions. I landed in the one I now consider my home, and the Doctor saved me because he remembered me telling him that he saved me.”

“Please, he would’ve saved you regardless,” she scoffed, and Chloe would’ve severely inclined to agree if she didn’t know the full details. “My theory is that you know far more than you should, especially concerning the Doctor and Valeyard. You’re from a subversion of the Alpha Universe,”

Chloe wanted to wince but instead remained still, doing her best to keep her face blank. “I don’t want to talk about it,” she said, but her tone shook, and Missy’s eyes widened before she laughed.

“Oh, you’re from _the_ Alpha Universe! You must know all about me then, no wonder you’re so tense. Don’t worry, Songbird. As much as I want to rule the universe, I can’t exactly do it if it’s all destroyed, now can I? Besides, I’ve grown… fond of these little humans.”

The redhead couldn’t sense any lying, and it made her relax and grin. “My name isn’t Songbird, Missy. It’s Chloe Nightingale, and it’s really nice to meet this version of you.”

* * *

“You’re certain you can stop this?” Missy demanded once again as Chloe finished strapping herself into the makeshift time travel harness Donna had used in _Turn Left_. “You only have once chance.”

“I have to stop this,” she said. “Because if I don’t, that means not only does this world burn, but also the two I come from, and the ones they’re connected to. It has to be me, Missy. The Doctor can’t know you’re alive yet, and my presence can be explained by Valeyard.”

There was a brief silence, with Missy glazing at the others, who nodded and left as Chloe couldn’t look at her directly. “You’re breaking,” she noted.

“The one time I meet this version of you out of order and she has to be erased because the timeline is wrong,” she finally choked out. “It’ll be centuries before you exist in my world. I… I’ll be dead by then. There’s a prophecy, in that world. _The Silence will fall and the Songbird will die._ I-I don’t want to die,” a sob ripped out of her throat as Missy awkwardly patted her on her shoulder.

“I doubt it’s as easy as that,” she offered. “And that won’t be for years for you anyway. Make the most of them, and never regret any of it.”

“Thank you… Koschei,” the Time Lady jolted at her name before she gave this sad grin.

“You’re welcome, Chloe Nightingale.”

Once the door was shut and Chloe was alone, she took a deep breath and pressed the activation button.

* * *

“Who the bloody hell are you?” She heard 9’s voice as a wave of vertigo washed over her, leaving her swaying from side to side.

“Doc, she doesn’t look good,” Jack’s voice said from beside her, forcing her to shake her head.

“Where did she come from?” Rose asked, and she was finally able to open her eyes.

“W-Warning,” she whispered.

“You’re giving us a warning? For what, saving the world?” Jack scoffed, but she shook her head and regretted it. “Whoa, easy. Did you time travel without a vortex manipulator or something?”

“No, that design, that’s Time Lord engineering,” the Doctor noted, his voice growing cold. “What are you doing with that.”

“I-I need to warn you,” she tried again, looking directly at the Doctor. “Valeyard… he’s coming… he’s coming for them.” The Time Lord paled, taking a step back as Rose tilted her head.

“Valeyard? Whose that then?”

“Me,” the Doctor answered. “Or, rather, an evil version of me. How did you get that information?”

“I’m… I’m a companion in a different dimension. He took me from that world and brought me over here. I need to stop him from existing; I need to stop him from getting the TARDIS.”

“You don’t actually believe this,” Jack scoffed, but the Doctor didn’t look so convinced, so she stepped forward.

“Look at my memories if you must, but the Delta Wave,” she nodded towards the bundle of wires.

“Right, I’ll believe you, for now,” he said, and began to usher Jack and Rose towards the Tardis, but she grasped Jack’s shirt.

“Hey, what the-!”

“He can’t go,” she said. “It’s a fixed point that Jack remains on the station.”

“Go?” Rose asked, starting to head back towards the TARDIS doors as the Doctor glanced between them before sonicking the doors shut and sending the ship away.

“Go down to 499,” she told the man, who was glaring at her. “You’ll be ok, I promise.”

As he left, there was a ripple from behind her, and something brushed her neck, making her shiver, but as she turned, nothing was there. Shrugging, she glanced down at her hands, all but weeping as she started to vanish. “He’s going to die, isn’t he?” The Doctor asked, and she glanced at him sadly.

“Jack won’t be the same,” she agreed. “But he’ll live, and he’ll be so fantastic. And you will be too, Doctor.”

“Who are you?”

She paused, glancing around. “The others called me Songbird. Maybe there’s some truth in it after all.”

* * *

She got Rose’s passport from her room and hid it in the spare bedroom’s closet, pulling out the postcards she had been writing over the years. Of course, she had to edit certain things, but in the end, once a month, Jackie got a postcard from “Rose”, describing her travels.

Perhaps the hardest bit of her wait was that in the second week after Valeyard had kidnapped her, she woke up from a nightmare and saw someone standing at her feet. She had thrown the box in self-defense before switching on the lamp to show 11 holding his head and the music box shattered on the floor.

She had apologized so much, she was pretty sure he was sick of hearing her voice by the time he had left, the broken pieces in his hands.

So, to fill the void of what sleep used to do, she found herself in Hub 3 more and more. Owen and Sato found it funny, and despite the jokes Jack made, he did his best to get her back to her apartment to “spend time with Jackie”, who was admittedly still sad that Rose had left with only just a phone call.

Then, of course, one day, Owen called in sick (Chloe had snorted; they all knew he was hungover) and Sato actually _was_ sick, which left her and Suzie the next ones in line for any alien dissections.

Wouldn’t you know what happened not even an hour after she officially began her shift?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chloe was gone for a couple of days, but Jack had pulled a few strings so Jackie wouldn't notice both her and Rose vanished at roughly the same time.


	22. The Aliens of London

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose comes home and Chloe meddles a tiny bit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for the long wait! In any case, here's Arc 2, aka "The Companion..? Arc". A semi-short chapter, mainly because I'm working on Winner Takes All. I won't be covering World War Three, mainly because it relies too much on back and forth conversations on the phone, all on speaker, which is something Chloe wants to avoid because the Doctor knows her voice and she doesn't want him asking questions yet.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who

“Did you think about us at all?”

Rose let out a flinch, tears streaming down her face. “I did, all the time! But…”

“One phone call. The Postcards were enough to know you were alive, but we just wanted to hear your voice, make sure you were ok.” Jackie continued, oblivious to the confusion on Rose’s face.

“I’m sorry. I really am,” she murmured before something dawned on her. “Where’s Chloe?”

“You just missed her. She had to go to her office for the day,” Jackie answered. “Why don’t I give her a ring?”

“You-You do that. I’m gonna talk to the Doctor,” she stepped away, leaving the apartment and taking the stairs two at a time, easily spotting the leather-clad alien on the roof. For a few minutes, they sat in silence before she spoke. “I can’t tell her. I can’t even _begin_ _…_ Mum’s never gonna forgive me. Aunt Chloe is going to _kill_ me. I missed a _year_ _…_ ” she trailed off, unsure what to think. “Was it good?”

“Middling.” the Doctor shrugged.

“You’re so _useless_ _._ ” she scoffed.

“Well, if it’s this much trouble, are you gonna stay here now?”

“I dunno. I can’t do that to them again, though.”

“You keep saying ‘them’,” the Doctor noted.

“Aunt Chloe. Not really my aunt, but she’s practically family. She moved in when I was 12. No family, no friends. Just the four people who came to her for therapy. She always loved traveling, but never went cause she was always watching me…” she trailed off, an idea popping in her head.

“They’re not coming with us,” he warned, and Rose laughed, though it was weird, agreeing that Chloe shouldn’t come. “I don’t do families.”

“She _slapped_ you!”

* * *

“You’re joking,”

“Nope,” Jack answered, handing her the “temp” badge and pre-packed purse. “Owen and Sato both called in sick, so it’s either you or me who checks the thing out.”

“The _thing_ is still alive!” she scowled, slipping the purse on her shoulder before grabbing her jacket that she had just taken off. “Can I at least have a hazmat suit and face mask so I’m not recognized by the Doctor? I don’t want him to know what I do until, uh, _after_ when your timeline meets back up,”

“Which is when?” He poked, but she just rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“ _Not_ telling,” she said. “Let’s just get me to the hospital and you to 10 Downing. Be careful with the badges they give you. It kills humans, so _don’t_ give yourself away to Big Ears.”

“ _Big Ears_?” Jack laughed as they got into the car. “Odd, I recall you calling him a different name than that.”

“You mean Doctor?” She snorted, but he just waggled his eyebrows at her, making her blush and him laugh before he floored it to Albian Hospital.

* * *

“I’ll be the one conducting the autopsy,” she said, flashing her badge, getting odd looks before the guards stepped aside as the gurney was wheeled in, the white blanket covering the poor pig. She said nothing as the soldiers put the animal on the table, instead choosing to finish suiting up as Asquith came in.

“Let’s have a look then,” he said, and with a grimace, Chloe complied, unable to look at the creature. “Good God. That’s real? It’s not a hoax or a dummy or a…?”

“It has alien technology in it,” she said. “But the animal itself is from Earth. Whoever these aliens are, they’ve been using livestock for… something.”

“Could this be a trap?” He asked, and she paused, unsure what to say. She could change so much, save so many…

“I don’t know, but isn’t it odd, those in the government who shouldn’t be summoned are being summoned?” she hinted. He didn’t look very amused but seemed to take her words for _something_. For a second, it felt like a cheese grater was going against her skin before the feeling was gone leaving her to glance at the body sadly again.

“We’ve got experts being flown in. Until they arrive… get that out of sight.”

“Yes sir.”

* * *

She refused to try and do the autopsy, instead just immediately putting it in the cupboard and putting a table in front of it, sitting on the floor and just staring at the door, mind racing. She’d have to leave for the day, maybe even the weekend. She was too compromised; she had almost blurted out the man was in danger. It was bad enough she gave him a hint, what if he summoned her there before he was killed? She wouldn’t be able to lie to Rose and say she stumbled in, and she already knew how the Doctor officially met her anyways.

The first thump caught her off guard, but she didn’t move, instead forcing her hood back up and mask over her nose and mouth. After a few more thumps, she forced herself to go behind the main counter, the hits sounding more and more powerful. _Enhanced strength_ , she realized as the metal sounded like it was warping. She couldn’t help herself from peeking over, and at the sight of the creature breaking through the metal, she couldn’t stop her scream.

A few seconds later, the Doctor and some guards came into the room, the Time Lord kneeling beside her. “It has enhanced strength,” she whispered. 

“Spread out, tell the perimeter it’s a lockdown!” The Doctor ordered, and despite knowing this would be bad for her cover, she was grateful when he grabbed her hands and squeezed them.

“It’s alive,” she whispered, making him nod.

“Do it!” The Doctor snapped, and the soldiers went scrambling.

“I-I think it was in shock,” she murmured.

“Coma, shock, hibernation, anything really,” he agreed. “What does it look like?”

“An earth pig that’s been experimented on,” she answered, just as something moved behind the man.

“It’s still here,”

She nodded nervously, watching as he crawled around the desk. She heard the pig squealing a second later before it bolted out of the room, the Doctor following later as a gunshot sounded. Chloe looked at the floor in disgust, directed at the Slitheen, herself and the soldier who shot first. After a minute, the Doctor came back, carrying the poor pig’s body, and she forced herself to stand up.

“You alright?” he asked, and she gave him her best fake smile. Had it been any other Doctors, had it been a different regeneration, they would’ve called her out, but instead, he seemed to take her smile at face value and nod.

“I told Asquith that it looked like it had been experimented on,” she began quietly.

“Victorian showmen used to draw in the crowds by taking the skull of a cat and gluing it to a fish and calling it a mermaid,” he began, and she grimaced.

“Now someone’s done it to this poor guy,” she murmured. “It must’ve been terrified.”

“They’ve taken this animal and turned it into a joke,” he agreed before turning towards her slightly. “Where do you work for again? UNIT?”

Throat dry, she swallowed, shaking her head. “Torchwood Hub 3,” she corrected. “UNIT is for invasions. Torchwood is for scavenging.” He let out a hum, still looking at her, brows furrowed. “My question is why aliens are faking aliens. What would they gain to do that?”

“Good question,” he answered. “Let’s find out,”

Alarms blared in her head at his phrasing, making her laugh nervously. “I know who you are, Doctor. As much as I’d like to say yes, I have to let upper command know something’s wrong with this crash.” She could see the confusion and curiosity in his eyes that were hidden behind a smile.

“Ah, better luck next time,” he joked before walking off, and Chloe could feel all the tension leaving her body as the TARDIS disappeared.

“Holy fucking shit,” she wheezed, leaning up against a counter. “I’m going to kill Jack.”

* * *

By the time she got back to her apartment, she could see Jackie talking to officer’s outside. Unfortunately, she knew she couldn’t get rid of her Torchwood badge before Jackie and the Slitheen saw her, so she walked up to the older blonde, touching her arm gently. “How about we go get some tea?” she offered, nodding to the police officers as well. They all nodded, Strickland’s a little delayed as he looked at her badge.

“Thank you, Agent…?” he said, and she put on a charming smile.

“Nightingale, officer,” she answered before escorting Jackie up into her apartment, where she instantly began to make tea. She might’ve snuck some vinegar in the cup for Strickland as well, hoping he wouldn’t notice the off smell. “Afraid the tea is a bit old,” she said as she passed out cups. “I haven’t been able to go shopping in a while.”

She made sure to take a sip of her own (which was sickeningly sweet with honey and cream, but no one other than Jackie knew that) and watched the other three do the same before Strickland took a big gulp of his own and instantly froze.

Now, she had no idea what would happen if a certain species ingested vinegar, but judging by the rather large, boil like welts almost instantly forming and oozing green, she had her answer. The other two cops yelled in shock while Jackie screamed. She chose to ‘drop’ her cup and throw her hands over her mouth, not having to fake the disgust and shock at the sight.

“Oh my god!” Jackie cried, and Chloe jumped up, grabbing the blonde and one of the other officers outside.

“Quarantine!” She cried out, down towards the UNIT soldiers below. “I need a Quarantine! Unknown first contact in the flat! Call Code 9!” The soldiers _scrambled_ , and the final officer slammed the door behind her, giving her a wide-eyed look. “I’ll hold the door, you three, get down to UNIT! They’ll be able to guard you better.” As they scrambled down the door, she let the small bottle of vinegar up her sleeve slide down, ready to squeeze it in the alien’s face.

As she heard the footsteps running up the stairwells from both ends, she scrambled onto the railing, well aware of UNIT’s eyes on her as she weighed the risks. Sighing as the soldiers called out to her, she jumped up, as hard as she could, twisting her body and reaching out for the next floor’s railing.

She grabbed the roof instead.

“Well shit,” she mumbled, pulling herself up, thankful Jackie hadn’t seen it.

Dashing to the other side, she glanced down, smirking a bit as the other side wasn’t watched, though she’s pretty sure that would change soon. No hesitation, she thought, closing her eyes and stepping forward, the falling sensation sending her nerves on fire and stomach sinking before she somehow landed on her hands and knees, a faint echo of pain coming a second later before vanishing completely.

With a final glance towards Powell Estate, she ran away for hopefully the last time.


	23. Winner Takes All (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 1 of 5:
> 
> Rose and the Doctor come back to Earth in time for Chloe to get caught up in an abduction case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so begins Chloe's official time as a member of Team TARDIS! There's a new summary, so I highly suggest you read it! There will be NSFW chapters in this fic, and they will be tagged with an asterisk ( * ), however, at least one of the chapters will have important plot, so I will do a chapter summary in the chapter after the NSFW one(s).
> 
> If you haven't read Winner Takes All yet, I highly suggest you do! I will be skipping dialogue and scenes to best fit what Chloe only sees, and, well, it's still a really good book too!

As odd as it was, she had gotten a yellow sticky note with circular Gallifreyan written on it, a little illegal translation scratched along the bottom, letting her know it was ok to return to the apartment.

She did go back, making note of the bugs and promptly removing them. She'd deal with those consequences later, but for now, no bugs. Even the Doctors abided by that rule, though all they really had to do was give her The Look and she'd break down.

They didn't come for their appointments, each regeneration missing one appointment, tallying it to Rose and the Doctor having been away for an entire month before it appeared.

_It_ being some demented, hellscape of a video game that was _definitely_ real. Unfortunately for her, Jack had assigned to the case, deciding it would be good for her to relax to as she had mentioned playing _Dragon Age_ and _Mass Effect_ a couple times before.

She had a sneaking suspicion that shortly after this case, the former was going to be pushed ahead of schedule. As it was, she sat beside Micky, who had taken to the game far too much for her liking. He was a good kid, one of Rose's best friends, so she didn't think it was weird if he stayed over a couple times; Mickey was becoming something of a son or little brother to her.

" _Mickey? What're you doin' here?_ " Rose's voice asked, snapping her from her small trance as the two humans and alien shuffled in. She was well aware of the video game titles, a mixture of hers and Mickey's, strewn out across the floor, all the way from _Knights of the Old Republic_ to _Symphony of the Songbird_ _,_ which made her nervous for some reason.

"Heya Chloe," Rose greeted, sounding nervous, and for a moment, the redhead couldn't figure out why until it dawned on her- the last time Rose had been to Earth, they hadn't been able to reunite.

"Hey Rosie," she said, giving a small grin. "How's traveling been? Seen the Taj Mahal yet?" It was a loaded question. If she said no, Chloe was screwed, because she had already pushed for that one to be sent in the mail.

"Been thinkin' about it," she shrugged, glancing at the Doctor for a moment. "I'll send you a card when I do?"

"I'd love that," and for once, it was a truth that didn't leave a bitter taste in her mouth. "So, uh, are you the mysterious Doctor Rose ran off with then?"

"The one and only," he nodded, and her attention was caught by Rose as she moved forward, picking up an orange box with a cartoon porcupine shooting a cartoon insect.

" _Death to Mantodeans_?" She read aloud, making the redhead grimaced. "Doesn't sound like your type of thing,"

"It's not," she grumbled. "I got the short straw at work and have to do a study of the game for anything weird."

"Aside from it being aliens?" Mickey joked, making her roll her eyes.

"Everyone knows aliens exist now, Mickey, and given what I do, it's my job to make sure this couldn't harm relations should any want to make peace," she argued.

"What is your job exactly?" The Doctor asked.

"You-You've never really said," she felt mildly betrayed by Rose's kicked tone.

"UNIT is for invasions. Torchwood is for scavenging." she quoted, watching as the Doctor sat up on the couch a little more. "This game isn't right. I've been unable to datamine any information, so my only other choice was to play."

"Chloe might even be the first one to get past the training level," Mickey added, suddenly less enthusiastic now that he knew the full reason why she wasn't letting him play the game.

"Training level?" said the Doctor.

"Yeah, that's what they call it. It's all cartoony, not like this stuff." He indicated the screen, which currently showed a realistic‐looking view of a tunnel entrance. "All tests and that. If it wasn't for the prize, I reckon a lot of people would've given up. But once you've done it, you get this intro about the proper game, the mission, and you get to play the good stuff."

"And not many people have got that far then?" Rose asked

"If they have, they haven't posted it anywhere," Chloe answered, reaching over to her coffee table and picking up a hair tie, pulling her hair back, and grabbing the controller again.

"Do you reckon there's a glitch or something?" Mickey asked. "All the threads report that it doesn't save your game and that you have to go back to the beginning. Not to mention the puzzles either, but Chloe hasn't really died once,"

"Thank god for _Dragon Age_ ," she muttered, unpausing the game, watching the TV screen as a shaky corridor rushed past. At the end was an imposing‐looking door. A panel on the door came into focus, with numbers and letters scrolling across it. Her eyes were darting all over the screen just before the scrolling began, and she leaned forward, brow furrowed.

The Doctor sat up. "I'm surprised anyone's got past this at all. Look at the algorithms on that!"

Mickey grinned, pointing towards her. "Just wait til you see what she does,"

The Doctor leaned towards her as if he was about to take the remote, but she played Mario Kart with him too many times, so she just leaned away awkwardly. "There's all sorts of different ones," Mickey said as her fingers began to rapidly tap on the side of the remote. "Some are sort of, you know, pictogrammy things. Or odd ones out, that sort of thing."

The Doctor was already staring at the screen, muttering things like, "Convert that section to binary… If d equals 8.9 to the power of y…"

A millisecond before the Doctor started to yell, she hit green button as the correct answer scrolled past, allowing the door to slide open. "Ha, that almost stumped me," she admitted. "And here's the part that concerns me the most: The Mantodeans." It looked like something out of The Ring, with how the giant praying mantises were coming down the hall towards the TV screen.

"Weapons?" The Doctor asked.

"Laser pistol of unknown make, sadly does not make the _pew_ noise." As she said this, she aimed and fired five shots with the red button with a scarily perfect aim.

"You don't like guns," Rose murmured to the Doctor.

"I hate guns," he agreed. "Which isn't to say that a bit of fantasy violence can't be therapeutic. There's the next door. Will there be any more Mantodeans on the other side, I wonder?"

"I don't know," she answered with a shrug. "All I can say is that it takes forever for stealth to get activated again. Seems like whenever they know you're there, they just go into this frenzy. Apparently, if they get too close, they'll bit your head off, so _yikes_ _._ "

"Brilliant!' The Doctor said, and she couldn't help but snort.

Mickey leaned forward and looked across at him. "Come off it, you do this stuff for real! What's so exciting about playing a game?"

The Doctor leaned back on his chair. "Yeah, well, the thing about games, as opposed to real life, is, one, you're honing your reflexes, right, two, you're practising strategic thinking, and three, you've usually got a cup of tea and a packet of HobNobs at hand."

"And four, real aliens aren't trying to bite your head off, right?"

The Doctor grinned. "Yeah, I s'pose there's a downside as well. So, about that cuppa then…"

"You just had two cups at my mum's," said Rose. "And three sandwiches and two cakes."

"Don't tell me England's got a tea‐restriction law these days," the Doctor said. "If it has, I'll probably have to take down the government. Again."

" _Again_ _,_ he says," she mimicked. "As if you know you'll have to do it more than once," she paused the game, standing up. "Right, I'll put the water on. How do you take your tea?"

"Two sugars," the Doctor answered, and she waved off Rose's attempts to get up, instead pointing a finger at the two males.

"Touch my progress and you'll regret it," she warned. When she went to pull out the milk though, she did the customary sniff and pulled back, fully disgusted with herself. "Hey so I have to run to the store real quick and get some more milk. I think it's gone a bit… sour?" she ended it off with a question, capping the toxic fumes and putting it in the sink, quickly exiting the kitchen.

"I swear if I didn't know better," Rose sighed, shaking her head, "I'd almost say you were as odd as the Doctor here." With a nervous laugh, Chloe shook her head.

"Everyone's a bit odd, Rose. It's what makes us unique," she deflected, making sure her wallet was in her coat. "I'll only be a few, sorry for leaving like this!"

* * *

Honestly, she _really_ should've expected this.

But she will admit: being held up at gunpoint by a cartoonish looking porcupine was definitely going to be at the top of her List of Weird.

"You do know that this is a big mistake?" she said, getting no reply, causing her to let out a slow, heavy breath. "He touched the game didn't he? I'm going to _castrate_ him the next time I see him. Death is too easy for him."

The porcupine didn't say anything, instead stepping forward, it's clawed feet dragging against the floor, and she had an idea.

"Fine you silent fuck," she sword, keeping her wallet in hand as she threw the coat at the alien's face, running into the alley that was covered in posters and pallets and all sorts of breakable goodies that could easily be clawed up. By the time she was out on the other side, the alien was only about a third of the way through, and she could barely make out Mickey, Rose, and the Doctor sitting on a bus that drove by, making her want to tear her hair out…

Her apartment. She could go there and wait and pray it didn't find her there.

* * *

Rose didn't realise that something was wrong, not at first.

"Did you leave the door open when you left?" she said to the Doctor. He shook his head, and he suddenly looked concerned.

He went inside, peering here, there and everywhere. Rose followed him. The flat was empty. In the lounge, the games console lay on the table, and the telly was still switched on. On the floor was an empty gun magazine, the bullets all across the floor. What job did she have that allowed her a _gun_ of all things?

"Someone kicked in the door, but she knew they were coming," the Doctor said. He darted back outside the front door. "Look at this," he called. Rose followed him out, and he pushed the door to, pointing at scratches on its lower panel.

"Um…" she said.

"Claw marks," he said. "Whoever kicked open this door had clawed feet."

"Like Percy the Porcupine?" she said.

"Exactly like Percy the Porcupine," said the Doctor. They went back inside the flat, the Doctor closing the door behind them. "Amazed her telly's still here, if the door's been open long," he said.

"Hey," said Rose, offended. "You don't live here. You're not allowed to say things like that."

"Is that how it works then?"

She nodded, sitting down on a chair and surveying the room for clues. "Yeah. Like how I'd have a go at anyone who called you a cocky know‐it‐all who never listens to a word I say, but I'm…"

She broke off. The Doctor wasn't listening to her. He'd picked up the abandoned games console, and was prising off the back. He started poking around inside. "Definitely alien," he said. "Bother."

"Not just really advanced human?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

"D'you reckon they've gone around kidnapping anyone who's got one?"

He shook his head. "There must be loads of the things out there. I think someone would've noticed. And what would be the point of that? No, they've taken Chloe for a reason. And I'd say it was fairly obvious what that reason was."

Rose thought for a moment, leaning forward in concentration. "For you, maybe, alien big‐brain… It's gotta be something to do with this game… But Chloe's been playing it for a bit with nothing happening…" She suddenly thumped the arm of the chair as realisation struck. "And then you came along, and beat her score, and if I know you, probably the scores of everyone else who's ever played it in, like, two minutes. And they're monitoring the scores somehow so they send out troops to find this genius and carry her off. But they got Chloe instead. Right?"

The Doctor was now putting the games console back together. "You get there in the end," he said, giving her a grin. "You'd have thought the moment they saw her that they'd have realised she wasn't the one they wanted, though."

Rose scowled. "She's not thick. Chloe has a doctorate in biology."

* * *

She had only been transmatted once, and admittedly, it had been far better than this.

She didn't think she'd ever be able to move again, or even know quite how bits of her body attached to other bits of her body ever again. But as her head began to clear she suddenly became aware that her arms were moving. She certainly hadn't consciously decided to move them, and she observed the strange phenomenon with detached interest for a few moments. Then the mental mists parted still further, and everything came flooding back. Where am I?

The Quevvils didn't answer, instead forcing her to stand and shifting her off into a separate room, a couch, bed, and small kitchen area in the area with a second doorway leading into what looked like a bathroom of sorts. She waited until they were gone before scowling. " _Do biology_ _,_ he said. _It'll be fun_ _,_ he said. _I'll teach you xenobiology_ _,_ he promised. _You'll be keeping the timelines_ _,_ she said. Oooh, Doctor, when I get my hands on you…"

Pacing the room only led to her stewing a bit more, and as the Doctor was suddenly shoved through, a petulant look on her face, she was ready. "Ah, hello Chloe! How're you?"

"I had one rule," she snarled, poking him in the chest. " _Don't touch the game_ _._ They don't know what to make of us, so that's why we're not with the others."

"What do you mean? Is it 'cause of my score?"

"No, Dumbo," she snapped. "It's 'cause we're not _human_ _._ " The alarm bells instantly rang, but she couldn't stop herself in time, so instead, she immediately turned around and high tailed it as far as she could, which was about fifteen feet.

"Oh no, you're not running away from _that_ _,_ " he argued, following her, grabbing her should and forcing her to face him. "You're not human?"

"You aren't either," she retorted. "But I doubt you'll just believe my genuine words and actions on it." Several emotions crossed his face before settling on anger.

"What do you want with Rose Tyler?"

She rolled her eyes, brushing his hand off. "Rose has had a hard life, and it would've been harder if I hadn't been there," she informed him.

"You're probably the reason her timeline was so bad!"

She wanted to argue, but she thought back on Clara's advice, and that the only reason she had it was because her and 12 had visited… "Maybe so," she agreed tiredly. "It's something I'll torture myself over for years to come, even, but I would gladly die if it meant Rose lived." She started to turn away but paused and snapped back around, raising her finger again. "You _lied_ to me!"

"No I haven't,"

"You _will_ _._ You and Rose said I ran up to you two with two tickets to NSYNC and that when you noticed that I didn't age! It's the reason why I agreed to live on Powell in the first place, you- you little _sneak_!"

"So this is a circular paradox then. I can't tell you how we actually meet, because you remember me telling you that you ran up to us with tickets." he sighed, and she scrunched up her nose.

"So how long do you expect it'll take Rose to come get us then?" she finally said, sitting down on the couch with her arms crossed.

"Three hours?" He offered up.

"Hour and a half," she countered. "Loser buys the other their favorite snack?"

"Deal," as they shook on it, she leaned up against the arm, getting comfortable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! So you've made it to the end of Part 1.
> 
> Reviews make me feel happier and more willing to write, so if there's something you'd like to talk about, feel free to tell me about it in the comments section! <3


	24. Winner Takes All (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A rescue mission goes right, then wrong.

The Quevvils came back, and upon seeing them not playing the game, quickly removed the couch and put them in plastic chairs, tying them up. Part of Chloe wanted to say _kinky_ while the other just wanted to break through the rope instantly. Instead, she just allowed the remote to be shoved in her hand.

The Doctor looked as amused as she was. "Don't fire the gun," he said seriously.

"Let me guess: it's all real?" she didn't need to see his nod, instead making sure to equip a melee weapon. "This won't kill them,"

* * *

"Surprise!" Rose called, and Chloe glanced at her with a small grin. Two hours wasn't bad, right?

"What kept you?" the Doctor asked, and her grin widened.

"Does it count towards me or you?" the redhead asked.

"You," he answered. "I was over."

"A bit of gratitude, please, or the rescue stops here and now," she said, but she was grinning as broadly as they were.

"I take back everything I was saying about humans being useless." The Doctor said.

"When were you saying that?" Rose asked, indignantly.

Chloe sighed. "Oh, 'bout every other minute for the last hour." The blonde went to untie her first, which was odd, but ok, as she glanced at the Doctor, his elbows tied tightly to the chair arms so he had enough freedom to manipulate the control pad, but not enough to untie himself.

"Wish I had a camera," Rose said. "That'd be one for the album. Not to mention I could probably make a fortune from any alien bondage websites there are out there." Rose then froze, hazel eyes slowly meeting her grey ones.

_Yes, I know_ _,_ she silently, and the blonde relaxed a little, head tilted, brows furrowed.

"Does your mother know about your obsession with these 'alien bondage websites'?" he replied.

"Why do you think she's so suspicious of you?" Rose said. "I told her you were the mastermind behind them."

Chloe couldn't help herself. "Are there really alien bondage websites?"

Rose and the Doctor burst out laughing. "Yeah. I'll give you the address when we get back," said the Doctor, smirking further as she flushed.

"Don't-" she grumbled as Rose finished untying her before turning towards the Doctor.

"Hadn't we better be getting out of here?" she said urgently.

"Hang on a minute," the Doctor said. "I wanna try something. Stay there, Chloe."

"They could be back any minute," she warned.

The Doctor shook his head, as if such things really didn't concern him. He gestured at the image on screen in front of him. "Does any of this look familiar to you?"

She squinted at the screen, looking around, pausing as she made the character look up. "That does," she said.

"Right back at the beginning. So if I can just reverse to that point…"

"You can remember every turn you made for an hour or so?" Rose said. "Blimey. I get lost in Hampton Court maze."

"Nah, that's easy," the Doctor said dismissively. "It's hardly even up to your shoulders." He thought for a second. "Mind you, it might've grown a bit since I was last there."

"Yeah, well, we went in 1998 on a school trip," Rose motioned towards Chloe as she said that. "Every turn there were snogging couples taking advantage of being out of sight of the teachers. You're going to tell me you went in the 1700s or something, aren't you?"

He grinned. "Not if you don't want me to. I'll tell you this, though, there were snogging couples using it even then. Had to be careful that their powdered wigs didn't get caught on twigs. Last thing you want, you lean in for a snog and suddenly this impressionable young lady's seeing your hairdo as nature intended. Puts you right off."

"Don't tell me you know that from personal experience," Rose said, glancing at the Doctor. "I really don't want to know. Ewwww!" Chloe just snorted, remembering how Eight dressed.

The Doctor laughed, his eyes never leaving the screen. "Not my scene,' he said. As the minutes passed, Chloe felt a little bit nervous.

"I really reckon it'd be a good idea to get out of here," Rose said. "Those aliens are gonna be back here soon, and we don't have any weapons or nothing…"

"Just a bit longer…" said the Doctor, eyes fixed on the screen.

"Can't you do whatever you're doing back home, if we just got hold of a couple of consoles?"

He shook his head, although he said, "Maybe. But if what I think is true, there's no time to lose…"

"There's a sort of diagram out there,' the blonde said, pointing through the door. "Maybe that'd help you do it quicker."

The Doctor darted through the door, and she heard him call, "Yes!" He popped his head round the doorframe and gave her a thumbs‐up. "This'll do it!" he said. "Rose, pick up the control pad, and do exactly what I tell you."

"But I don't do computer games!" she cried.

"You do now," he replied.

"I'll help you," she told her.

"Why's he doing this?" she asked Chloe a few minutes later.

"Dunno," she said, shrugging. "But it's been bugging him. He's been desperate to try this out. Trouble is, they're a bit unhappy if you didn't stick with their plan, so he's not been able to do what he wanted."

The Doctor's voice floated through again, sounding excited: "This is it, any minute now… Keep an eye on your screens!"

Chloe turned her gaze back to the screen. But suddenly the control pad in her hand juddered. She tried pushing the button to carry on ahead, but it resisted her touch. It looked as if the same thing was happening to Rose. "Doctor!" she called out. "It's doing something!"

He hurried back in. "Aha!" he said. "That means we're getting close, I reckon. Got to maintain the fiction of the game, see. Thought there might be some sort of safeguards." He took Rose's control pad and prised off the cover, then began poking around inside it with his sonic screwdriver. Having put the cover back on, he handed it to her. "There," he said. "See what that's like. Few adjustments and that plan out there, we should be able to get round this."

Chloe watched Rose's screen, the viewpoint was jogging forward, jiggling up and down as if created by a camera held by a running man.

"Here we go!" the Doctor called. And as Chloe watched, something appeared on the screen, something she'd not seen in the game before. She glanced over at her own screen, the Doctor having picked up her controls when she had set them down. Something similar was coming into focus there too, coming closer and closer. Both screens swam into focus at almost the same moment. Each screen showed… a figure.

A human figure.

A familiar human figure. Her screen showed a lad in his twenties. He had shoulder‐length hair and was wearing glasses and a black T-shirt with a picture of screaming skulls on it. Rose's screen showed a woman in her sixties, wearing a tea‐cosy hat and a buttoned‐up coat. Both had flashing discs sticking to their foreheads. Both had metal cubes – the disruptor of the game's introduction – strapped round their necks.

"I've seen him down the pub," she said, feeling disgusted. It reminded her of the Dalek puppets.

"That's Mrs Hall," said Rose, sounding shell‐shocked. "Mum said she'd gone on holiday."

The Doctor had come back into the room. He crouched down next to Rose. "Your mum said she'd won a holiday. On the scratchcards."

"They're using humans," the redhead said, standing up and approaching the screen. "But for what? Why are they making puppets of them?" _Are… are they using the same Dalek technology?_

She didn't dare ask the question, for she knew how badly it would go, bringing up anything Time War related.

"All those people – all those people who've won holidays…" Chloe murmured. Mrs Hall was staring at them, her eyes trying to say something to the lad from the pub. The lad from the pub was looking the same, desperate and scared.

Rose dropped her control pad, his eyes wide with horror. "What happens when you lose the game?" she yelled. "What happens? What happens when you see those insects coming towards you and they open their jaws? What happens when it says 'game over'?"

"I'm sorry Rose," she murmured, turning away, towards the Doctor, who was silent.

"Did you know?' she asked them, her tone slightly accusatory. "Did you know what was happening?"

He shook his head. "I didn't, no. I just thought there was something going on. Once we knew it was happening for real, I wanted to see what they were using to play the games."

"If I had known, I would've called for an immediate recall," she answered, her fake stomach twisting. Something caught her attention, making her pale. "Oh no, oh no, oh no," she muttered. As the other two looked, the green forelimb of a Mantodean appeared, waving at the side of the screen.

"Don't just sit there!" shouted the Doctor. "Get them out of there!"

Rose pressed a button. On Mickey's screen, Chloe saw the black T-shirt bloke turn to his right. Her hands were shaking. "I can't do this!" she said. "I can't control a person like they're a toy!"

Chloe grabbed the controller from her. She started manipulating the controls, and in seconds the lad had disappeared from her original screen, but the Mantodean was still there. The Doctor had dived for the controller that he'd dropped on the floor, but he wasn't quick enough. He began to stab frantically, desperately, at the buttons, trying to move Mrs Hall – to reach for the gun – anything… The mandibles of the Mantodean filled the screen. And then there was just the simple phrase: 'Game over'.

"Sorry, you've not won this time," whispered Rose, numbly. "Please try again."

The Doctor sat back on the chair heavily. Rose put out a hand to touch his arm, to comfort him, but he shrugged it off. "I killed her," he said.

"No, you didn't," Chloe snapped, still frantically moving the guy forward. "The Quevvils are the ones who decided to do this, _not_ you, so get it out of your thick skull and _help me save him_ _._ "

That sprung the Time Lord to act, moving forward, listing out instructions that she followed. "Nearly out…" he murmured, and as a noise that sounded like a trap door filled the room, she could tell Rose was panicking.

"Quick!" she yelled.

"There's the exit!" it was a straight beeline for the door, but something was wrong, it was off, and it made her stop the man before he could cross over the line. "What're you waiting for?"

"Something doesn't feel right," she said. Before she could say anymore, she could hear a mantodean behind the poor man, forcing her to move him forward, out of the area…

And the screen went white, blinding white.

They gazed in disbelief and horror as the light faded and the legend appeared: 'Game over'.

"They rigged it," she said quietly.

"Explosives in the skull, no doubt. Something to stop people leaving once they're in there. Try to escape, and you get blown up.'

Rose suddenly made a worried noise, causing the redhead to turn to her. "The Quevvils are coming!" she said. "We've gotta get away from here!"

They raced out into the first room. The door to the corridor was still locked. Chloe put an ear to it.

"I don't think they're down yet," she said. "Shall we make a run for it?"

But the Doctor had found something, some sort of receptor built into the wall. "I think I can reverse the teleportation field," he said. "Send you back to Chloe's flat." He waved his sonic screwdriver at Rose.

"Think you can, or know you can?" Rose questioned. "I'd rather take my chances with an angry porcupine than end up with my atoms scattered to the four winds. What do you mean, send us back? What about you?"

He frowned but didn't stop what he was doing. "One, I'll probably have to stay here to operate this. Two, I need to find out stuff. Like, where their planet is."

"So we can go there and rescue everyone?" Rose asked.

"Something like that," the Doctor said, twisting the end of his sonic screwdriver so it emitted a high‐pitched hum. "Just need a few more minutes here… D'you reckon those Quevvils are down yet?"

Without thinking, Chloe pressed her back against the door, turning her head to listen just as there was a loud thud noise from the other side. "I think one just fell off the ladder," she said, glancing at the blonde, who smiled.

"I lip-balmed the rungs," she said, pulling out the tub Chloe had given her over a year ago. "Thought it might slow them down."

"Nicely thought," the redhead grinned back.

The Doctor was now tapping on a keypad. "Here we go," he said. "You two, come here."

Only Rose moved, as Chloe could feel the knob trying to turn against her back. Rose didn't seem to notice until she reached over to grab her hand, only catching air. "Chloe?" she asked, but the Doctor's hands on her shoulders stopped her from moving forward.

The redhead gave her a sad grin. "I'm the only thing stopping this door from flying open. It doesn't take being a Seer to know that they'll come in with guns at the ready."

"So the second I start to hit this, you go back," the Doctor said, pulling _that_ face. She knew he was royally pissed at her, with her technical alien status, but he didn't know what yet, so he thought she could be killed and… damn her feelings. "I want you to collect up the games, as many as you can. We've got to stop people playing it. At the moment it's the only way we might be able to prevent more deaths."

"All right," Rose said. "But people aren't going to just hand them over – they'll think I'm trying to steal them or something."

There was a sound from outside the door. "You'll think of something," the Doctor said, hurriedly. "Right, off you go. I'll see you later. Meet you at your mum's."

Rose smiled an acknowledgement.

The Doctor raised his hand to operate the controls.

Chloe stepped away to the door, patting the Doctor's other hand in support as she reached Rose.

The door burst open.

The Quevvil raised its gun.

The Doctor's hand came down.

Chloe's chest felt as if it had been rammed with a javelin.

Everything went fuzzy again.

* * *

She could hear someone calling her name, and as she was rolled onto her back, the pain kicked up more, causing her to groan.

"Chloe, please, wake up!"

_Rose_ , she realized, forcing her eyes to flicker open. When she went to tell the girl she was alright, she just let out a wheeze, her chest… _hurting_ _._ Oh god, it hurt. Not even the wound from the clockwork droid had hurt this much, but she hadn't been touching the Doctor's skin, right?

Unless… was it recent exposure? The fact that she officially travelled in time and space now? Could the Time Vortex've been part of what was needed to unlock her getting a working human body again?

It made her head swim, and with the pain, it almost made her pass out again. "Chloe, where are you hurt?"

"Sit-sit me up," she said and once she was sitting, braced up against the blonde, she slowly lifted her shirt, staring at the angry, bleeding blisters just on her diaphragm. "There's a-a first aid kit, in the kitchen, third draw le-left of sink," she was scooted back against the now ruined couch and she heard the blonde rummaging around before coming back with the black box. Doing her best not to move, she pulled out gauze, wrapping and some ointment, turning to the blonde with a grimace.

"Let me," she said, and Chloe held her breath, as each little bump sent her nerves on fire. "I'm sorry you got caught up in this."

"I would've been anyways," she hissed. "I was investigating this before you and the Doctor appeared, remember?" At the mention of the time lord, the blonde's face fell even more.

"Do you think they…?" she trailed off, but Chloe knew what she was asking and shook her head.

"Time Lords, they're fast. Sides, they now know he's the one who did the game stuff, so they can't risk hurting him." As she taped down the wrapping, Chloe slowly slid up onto the couch.

"Will you be all right?" she asked.

"Yeah. You just get out there and collect the consoles. You've gotta stop it, Rose. There's a number on the mirror in my room, called Owen. You need to call it, and tell him 'Nightingale sings to Twenty One Birds'. If he says 'And the Wolf Howls to Twenty One More', tell him what's happening he'll-he'll give you a temporary government badge. It's powerful enough to get the job done, but we can only assign them for six hours."

"Right," Rose looked so strained, Chloe couldn't help but bring her into a hug before letting her go. "Stay here," she ordered.

Chloe just closed her eyes, turning her head away as she murmured, "I always do, Rose Tyler."


	25. Winner Takes All (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe decides to act in Rose's best interests...

She had barely clicked the TV on when the special report came in, addressing the immediate recall of the consoles. Thankfully, Hub 3 put in the cash incentive of if you turn it in, you get five thousand pounds per console, and if you had a trip granted to you by the sweepstakes, you'd be given fifteen hundred pounds.

Her chest didn't burn as much, as she knew that by now, the ointment 12 had given her would most likely have healed the blisters and such, but it still felt too tight to move. Flipping through the channels, they all had the same thing, reports about the trip being a type of slavery thing, the consoles selling information, having listening devices…

"You really fucked 'em up good Owen," she murmured, hearing the door open. She looked over her shoulder, noting a grim-faced Doctor. "Rose is working with my team gathering the consoles up, but Jackie's been taken."

"You aren't with her?" he asked.

"No, one of the Quevvils managed to shoot me as we transmatted out." she answered.

"I never said that was a transmat," he noted, making her shrug. "What else do you know?"

"About this? Sadly, not as much as I'd like. Owen's managed to turn the public against the consoles, but there's little we, _I_ , can do. Mickey's been on my computer, making sure this doesn't get out of the general area, but… it's not looking pretty." She nodded towards the therapy room, and the leather-clad man went in.

* * *

She somehow always knew when Rose was near, because it felt like someone was plucking on a harp string, but that string was connected to her arm, making it vibrate almost uncomfortably. She had always chalked it up to Rose being Bad Wolf, and that the Goddess of Time and Space knew she wasn't supposed to be here, but…

_What's Bad Wolf?_

" _My mum was in hospital._ " Rose was saying, sounding upset, and it had Chloe standing up and shuffling towards the door.

He shrugged. "Hospital's where they look after people. You knew she was safe. You could've stuck with the plan, maybe saved some lives. But you went to the hospital instead."

"That's enough Doctor," she snapped, pulling Rose into the apartment. "Maybe one day you'll understand why the thought of Jackie in a hospital upsets us, but for now, you have _no_ ground to stand and judge on." she turned towards the girl, who had tears in her hazel eyes. "Did she say what happened?"

"Darren Pye," Rose scoffed, and Chloe inhaled sharply. "Beat her up and nicked everything she had."

"Then we have something to track," she said, turning to the Doctor. "Jackie had Rose's phone. _Universal Roaming_ and all. If he's gone on that holiday ticket, we can be able to track him through it, right?"

"How do you know about the roaming?" Rose asked, and she felt a flash of guilt as she ignored the blonde, limping to the Tyler flat and going to the phone, the other two not far behind. Just as she went to reach for it, it let out a ring.

Picking it up, she took a deep breath. "Hello?"

It sounded like a man, a young man. There was heavy breathing, but it was the deep, ragged breaths of terror. There were gasps and what sounded like sobs catching in the throat. Just those few sounds, but so much fear.

"What is it?" Rose asked.

"Shh," the Doctor said.

Another sound could be heard, a loud chattering, clicking noise. The strangled sobs were getting faster, and there were choked grunts from deep in the throat, as if someone was desperately trying to form words but couldn't. The chattering sound got louder, closer to the phone.

Then there was a schnick noise, like a giant pair of scissors slamming shut. And then there was a soft, heavy thud.

Then the line went dead.

Rose pulled up a kitchen chair, sat down. "I wanted that to happen," she said. "When I heard what he'd done to my mum, I wanted that to happen. I wanted him to be made to play that stupid alien game, I wanted him to be scared, so scared, like my mum was when he was hitting her. I wanted him to be killed like that, have his head chopped off by an alien. I wanted all of that."

The Doctor sat down beside her. "It's all right," he said. "Wanting it to happen didn't cause it. It was the Quevvils who killed Darren Pye, not you. You don't have to feel guilty."

She turned to him, face anguished. "You don't understand. I don't feel guilty. I don't know what I feel. You know how you say, 'I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy'? Well, I'm still not sure that I wouldn't. Cos I feel sick inside, but part of me's still glad he suffered."

"There you go, being human again," said the Doctor. He put an arm around Rose, and hugged her to him. "It's not fair, is it, when we're forced into pitying someone we hate. Feels like the world's turned topsy‐turvy. But it's all right. You're still allowed to hate them. As long as you don't gloat at their downfall, that's all."

Her mouth twitched into a lopsided smile. "If you say so."

He nodded. "I do." The Doctor sat back, and Rose fished out a hankie and blew her nose hard. Chloe just awkwardly stood beside the counter, feeling very much so like a third wheel.

"Chloe, should you be up? You were hurt," she said.

"I'm fine," the redhead answered.

"You shouldn't be. The beam hit you full-on, you should be laying down in agony and burns right now."

She shifted a little, not looking at their faces. "You'll find out later," she said after a pause. "After this, you go back to when Rose first started secondary, and that's when I tell you how and why I'm here. For now, please believe me when I say I'm fine aside from hobbling to places."

She could see the storm in the Doctor's eyes, but he couldn't risk Rose, she knew that, so he just nodded. "And talking of hobbling… time we were doing the rounds, trying to pick up a few of these games."

Rose took a deep breath, and stood up. "All right," she said. "Let's go."

* * *

They had managed to get most consoles from their building when Mickey called them back, bad news quickly souring them all.

"This just went from aliens kidnapping humans, to humans assassinating other humans," Chloe choked out, reading the advertisement.

_There are so manny people Id like to see DEAD. But not go to prison 4 it! It would be GR8 if you could send them on holiday and they never came home but were KILLED! Do you agree. - alienkiller1984_

"How the hell has Common Web Security not caught this yet? This is _Dark Web_ stuff being advertised!" she snarled, remembering exactly why she had lost her faith in humanity years ago. She turned as the Doctor hung up the phone, looking more and more like The Oncoming Storm.

"Five hundred quid," he said. "That's how much death costs off the Internet. Not much more than a wide‐screen telly."

"You spoke to someone?" Rose asked.

The Doctor nodded. "And it didn't sound as if I was the first to call. I reckon your mum's not the only one who's been mugged for her winning scratchcard."

"You found out where this planet is?" Rose asked. "Can we dash off to the rescue?"

The Doctor's face hardened. "No," he said, clenching his fists. "I got its name, but it doesn't mean a thing."

"You could pay 500 quid to this bloke and go on the holiday," Mickey suggested, and Chloe was tempted to agree to a degree.

"There's an idea," the Doctor said. "If we could just get hold of one of those holiday scratchcards. With the Quevvils' teleportation technology, it'd be bound to have a directional circuit in it… I could plug that into the TARDIS…" He bounded over to the door. "Come on, you three. I need your life savings. We're buying scratchcards until we get one that wins the holiday."

At which point Rose pulled out a small cardboard rectangle. "What, like this one?" she said. "Didn't really seem important earlier…" Chloe put a hand to her mouth, trying to muffle her giggles at the Doctor's face.

She wasn't sure from the Doctor's expression whether he wanted to smack her or kiss her.

"Nice one Rose," Mickey said.

* * *

The TARDIS was lurching violently, like it had given a sudden enormous hiccup. She grabbed at one of the strange sculptures that decorated the room, a sort of Y-shaped thing that looked like a cross between a tree and a statue, and it arrested her flight. Using it for support, she managed to drag herself back to her feet.

"What was that?" she asked.

The Doctor was examining the console. "We were repelled by something."

'The force field around the Mantodean stronghold!" Rose exclaimed. "No teleporting, no TARDIS."

The Doctor nodded. "So that's Plan A out of the window."

"Well, we were making it up as we went along," Chloe pointed out. "We've landed somewhere, anyway."

"Mm," said the Doctor, getting his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket as if to check he still had it, then putting it back in again. "I expect it's gone into default mode, taken us to exactly where the winning‐card holders materialise. But the best way to find out –"

"Is to go out," Rose finished. The Doctor opened the TARDIS doors, and Chloe Rose followed him outside.

* * *

The room they'd landed in was totally grim, a bleak concrete shell. A group of people were huddled in one corner, staring at the Doctor, Chloe, and Rose: mainly adults, but a couple of kids too, one boy and one girl. They all had small metal discs stuck to their foreheads, like Mrs Hall and the lad they'd seen in the game.

"We're gonna take you home,`` Rose said, stepping forward. There were disbelieving smiles from the crowd; one man threw himself on the ground and started weeping. A moustached man pushed himself to the front of the group.

"Are you in charge here?" he said. 'I have a serious complaint to make!" Next to him, bizarrely, an elderly woman began to sing, "There'll be bluebirds over the white cliffs of Dover…"

'Don't think you'll find any bluebirds in England, love," said the Doctor. "Now, blue boxes, on the other hand…" He gave an exaggerated, ringmaster's gesture towards the TARDIS. "If I could trouble you all to walk this way…" The door to the room thudded open, and two Quevvils stood in the doorway, with several more behind them. Their heads were down and their quills bristling. "Inside, now!" barked the Doctor, but the instant they sprang towards the TARDIS, before the poor people in the corner had taken even a single step, a barrage of quills soared through the air, tinkling on to the concrete floor at their feet.

A few stuck into the sides of the TARDIS. "That was just a warning!" the lead Quevvil called, as they all froze on the spot.

The first two Quevvils slowly came into the room. And with them was a human. A human Chloe recognised. It was Darren Pye. "What on Earth is he doing here?" Rose cried out to the Doctor. "I thought he was dead!"

"No such luck," the Doctor said. "He's the one who was nicking the games and selling them on the Internet."

And Chloe realised the rest, wondered why she hadn't worked it out before. They'd heard someone outside, thought it was the person who stole her tablets and burner phones but not her desktop. He'd have heard everything they said, about the games, about the holidays, about the aliens. And he went down the stairs and met Jackie and had taken her ticket and her phone. Wouldn't have used the ticket himself, not knowing what it represented. Sold it straight away, and before you could say Jack Robinson the poor guy who'd bought it had ended up dying here, on this planet.

"I thought I recognised the voice when he offered to send my unwanted old aunt a winning scratchcard for 500 quid," the Doctor continued. He raised his voice. "Must have been a bummer when you found out how much you could get for them, when you'd already sold Jackie's ticket – and the phone. What did you get that time? Twenty quid? Thirty?"

Darren Pye just scowled at them. But one of the kids, the boy, started forward. "Johnny Deans," he cried. "He said he'd bought his ticket off someone down the pub for £30, and they threw in a mobile too. He was only here for five minutes before they took him." The boy paused, and looked at his watch. "That was about two and a half hours ago."

"That'd be about right," Rose said quietly, and Chloe knew why. She'd known Johnny Deans from school, not properly or anything, but she knew who he was. Darren Pye used to beat him up, she remembered. Now she was thinking of those desperate, dying sounds on the telephone. Thinking of how she hadn't been able to feel sorry about the death. Now she knew it had been someone else dying, someone she'd no grudge against, her stomach suddenly flipped with guilt. The remaining Quevvils had entered the room; there were now five in all, far too many for the Doctor, Chloe or Rose to risk trying anything.

The lead Quevvil pointed at Rose. "Prepare the human," it said. Which didn't sound good at all.

The Doctor jumped in front of her. "You're not doing anything to her," he said.

"You have no choice," replied the Quevvil. He was smiling smugly at the Doctor. "You will play the game for us and that human –" he indicated Rose – "will be your carrier. If you resist, we will kill that one, and one of these humans –" now he pointed at the cowering group in the corner – "will act as your carrier instead."

"No!" Chloe said, making sure her voice was loud and angry. "I will be the carrier, you leave her alone."

"Chloe, no!" Rose protested, but the redhead shook her head, moving in front of the two, holding her head high.

"I'm more resilient compared to humans, and harder to kill. You want inside that stronghold, I'm your best bet, but _only_ if you let the other humans go, alive and unharmed."

"Just take her!" yelled someone from the group – the young man who'd been sobbing on the floor. "Leave us alone, please!" The Doctor hadn't moved, but the Quevvils' quills were beginning to bristle again.

"Very well," the leader hissed, and Chloe felt like she could breathe again. "They will go free once you finish the game."

A young, hesitant voice called out, "Don't worry. It doesn't really hurt." She turned to see the boy who'd spoken before pointing at the metal disc in the middle of his forehead. So that's what they were going to do to her first. She gave the boy a smile, thanking him for the comfort, trying to show she wasn't afraid.

As she passed the Doctor, he suddenly swept her into a great hug. For a moment it confused her: he was supposed to be angry at her but maybe he thought this was goodbye… But then she felt him pressing something into her hand, and she realised the over‐the‐top embrace was just a distraction.

As the Quevvils shouted at them to stop, and the Doctor drew back from her, Chloe hurriedly shoved the Doctor's sonic screwdriver up the left sleeve of her top, thankful she had worn a long sleeve over her tanktop.

Two of the Quevvils came with her, and led her down a depressingly grey corridor. She made no effort to get away – hard to run from creatures who could spray needle‐sharp quills down the length of the corridor, and anyway, where would she run to?

At the end of the corridor was a door, and the Quevvils took her into a room.

The first thing she noticed was the window. She'd known that Toop was a desert planet, and she'd seen bits of it on the screen via Death to Mantodeans, but it was still a shock to come face to face with it. Somehow she'd expected a desert to resemble an enormous version of Southend, only with fewer ice‐cream sellers and more oases, but it was nothing like. The sky… the sky wasn't a glorious holiday blue, it was a dull blue, a grey‐blue, so pale as to be almost colourless. The sun was harshly white: glaringly bright, but lifeless. And even the ground disappointed, she could tell it wasn't deep, soft sand, the sort you'd make castles out of – or even ride a camel across – it was more like dead ground: dusty and yellow and parched. And it was bleak. All she could see in the distance was a single structure, a dull ochre mound that did actually look a bit like someone had upturned a bucket of sand and produced a truncated cone with one tap of their spade. She reckoned that must be the Mantodean place. Only a few kilometres away. A local war.

The Quevvil holding her snarled, and she started. But it was snarling at the view. "A world blighted by Mantodeans," it said. "But not for much longer…"

"Have you ever thought of creating peace treaties?" Chloe asked, voice quiet. The Quevvils ignored that, and the second one grabbed hold of her arm. "Or you could just put up curtains so they don't spoil your view…" They took no notice of that, either.

There were several workbenches in the room, and one Quevvil led – dragged – her over to one on the far side, away from the window. It kept hold of her, as the other picked up a metal disc, and held it to Chloe's head. She instinctively tried to back away, but only succeeded in standing on the foot of the Quevvil holding her. It pushed her forward impatiently, and the second Quevvil then slammed the disc against her forehead.

The disc had little claws sticking out of it on one side, and to her horror it didn't stick on to her forehead like she'd expected, it stuck into her forehead. She could feel the claws grab hold, push their way into the flesh, and then clench up, as if they were making a fist. It was a horrible experience, but to her surprise the boy had been right, it didn't really hurt; just a short, sharp shock-like having your ears pierced, then a nagging unpleasantness, but no actual lingering pain.

Then one of the Quevvils pressed a button on a small silver box, and the pain began.

Or maybe it wasn't pain. But it was the most unpleasant sensation. Something was happening inside her. The feeling started at the disc on her forehead and slowly spread throughout her body. It was as if tiny wires were threading themselves along every nerve. Worst of all, she couldn't react: couldn't shout or back way; couldn't move a single muscle.

Somewhere, in the back of her head, she could hear a scream, a whimper, a _plea._

_I don't want to die..._

The Quevvil then picked up a small metal cube. Chloe realised what it was doing – this was like the beginning of the game, only she wasn't in a title sequence, they were preparing her to play for real.

The cube was on a thick metal wire, and the Quevvil hung it around her neck, twisting it so the wire encircled her like a noose. Two more wires, taken under her arms, were attached behind her back. Without cutting the wire – or removing her head – it would be impossible to get rid of the cube.

She watched the Quevvil who had been holding her go over to a device on the wall, just like one she'd seen on the wall of their underground lair back in London. It spoke into it, "Is the controller ready?"

"The controller is ready," a voice confirmed. "You will dispatch the carrier."

"Understood." The Quevvil did something at the control panel. Chloe had a split second to register the tang in the air that spoke to her of the Quevvils' teleportation devices. And then – she was somewhere else.


	26. *Winner Takes All (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe Nightingale has entered the arena...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter has gore in it. I recommend skipping this if you feel uneasy possibly reading about it. I'll have a chapter summary before part 5 begins for those who skipped.

It was like in a nightmare, where you're trying to run but your legs won't do a thing. But she knew that she was awake.

Her vision gradually cleared; she'd materialised inside the Mantodean stronghold. Unable to twist her head round, she could see only the door in front of her and bits of the wall surrounding it – but at least she could move her eyeballs. After a bit of concentration, she found she was able to blink too. She tried speaking, but could produce nothing more than a noise in her throat. Something to practise, though, especially if there ever came a villain who liked choking.

She wondered if the Doctor and Rose were seeing what she was seeing. Was he sitting in front of a screen, gazing at an image of that very door, those very bits of wall? She assumed that the disc on her forehead had some sort of camera inside, as well as the technology that enabled the Doctor to control her.

Suddenly, almost without her realising it, her right arm began to move. She didn't feel it at all, it might have been being pulled up by a piece of string for all the internal awareness she had. Her fist clenched. Was he going to make her hit something? Then suddenly her thumb popped bolt upright, at ninety degrees from her fist. She stared at her hand. The Doctor was giving her a thumbs‐up sign.

_Ah, well, fuck you too then Doctor_ _,_ she thought, unable to twitch her mouth down into a scowl.

There were symbols on the door, little touch panels that she could just barely make out. Luckily the Doctor knew what to do. Click, click, click, click, and the door slid open. Her legs took her through to the other side, and then stopped abruptly. Her head jerked down. In front of her was a pit. A pit deep enough that she couldn't see the bottom. If she'd been made to take just one more step further…

She tried to see where she had to go now – were there paths to either side? But her legs were beginning to tense up, her knees were beginning to bend… Oh dear, well, this was going to be fun, trying to not smack against the top of the wall. She hadn't told the Quevvils she was enhanced, did she?

And then she was flying.

Something gave her power, the thing which had taken her limbs out of her own control had enabled her muscles to try and attempt to exploit them to their full potential. It was monstrous, horrific, and totally exhilarating.

Especially since she almost slammed the top of her head against the doorway on the other side. There was a brief pause, as if the Doctor was thinking about what alien species she might be before her legs were marching onwards, taking her down a dark, narrow corridor. There was a turning off to one side, and her body started to head towards it. Then an equal force started to pull her back. She stood in limbo, each force resisting the other. What was this? It felt like the Doctor was trying to take her one way, but the controls wouldn't let him.

Distantly, Chloe was aware of the safeguards to stop people bumping into each other and blowing the fiction of the game. Perhaps the discs on their foreheads acted similarly to like poles of a magnet or something, repelling each other if they got too close. The Doctor had managed to override them when she and Rose were playing the game in the underground base, and he must be trying to do so again. He wouldn't realise that it would've hurt her if she could properly feel it.

And then it stopped. The Doctor must have given up. Although, knowing him as best as she could, probably not for long. Her legs started to move forward again. At the top of the corridor she had to turn a corner, which was scary – she couldn't peek round it first to check for Mantodeans, she was just propelled that way, unable to exercise any caution. Thankfully, there was nothing there waiting to snip off her head. The Quevvils had given her a little gun, but she wasn't sure if the Doctor would use it – even as a last resort. She came to another door, and her hands solved another puzzle in front of her eyes. The door opened, and her eyes went down again, checking for pits.

There was no pit, but there was something much worse.

Fragments of a human corpse lay on the floor. She remembered seeing this sort of thing on the screen when she had first been shown the game: they'd thought they were gruesomely realistic graphics. There was nothing left by which the dead person could be recognised, so by this stage it probably didn't matter if other players tripped over the remains of a previous game. Even with the few remaining shreds of clothing – in this case denim, maybe black cotton, once‐white trainers – it would take a Sherlock Holmes move to make any true connection between some macabre image in a game and a person who'd gone off on holiday somewhere.

The metal forehead disc had gone, but then so had the head. Chloe's head moved until she finally located the fleshless skull over the other side of the room, five or six metres from the rest of the corpse. The box of the disruptor, however, was still on the body, its bloodied wires looped around the vertebrae and rib cage. She wondered, almost detachedly, if she could throw up but couldn't open her mouth, would she choke to death on her own vomit?

Thankfully, and perhaps a bit sadly, she didn't feel the need to vomit. It was just a dead body. It was pretty disgusting, but it couldn't hurt her.

But then, with a jerk, she found herself bending at the waist, her head getting closer to the grisly cadaver. She could smell the blood from this distance, the faint whiff of a butcher's shop. Was he intending to do the whole CSI bit and examine the horribly dead body for clues?

After a few tries she managed to shut her eyes, but that was almost worse. It felt as if any second she was going to plunge into the corpse face first. She opened them again to find that she was staring right at the skeleton's pelvis. And then her hand moved out…

_Gross, Doctor, gross. You'd better have a good reason for this…_

And it soon became clear that he did. Her hand touched the pelvis, went underneath, inside the tattered remains of what must have once been blue jeans. The Doctor's sharp eyes must have spotted what she only now took in, a tiny black plastic corner sticking out from underneath. Her hand grasped it and pulled it out.

It was a cell phone.

It was _Rose's_ cell phone.

It was still on, transmitting nothing across thousands of light years. On the screen it said 'Home'.

These rags and bones had once been Johnny Deans, whom she'd known from school. She had listened to this man's death.

Her hand switched off the phone, pushed it into her own jeans, and she was walked away.

* * *

She was going to kill him.

Something must've gotten his attention in the control room, but he could've at least let her have both feet on the ground, rather than having her stand, prolonged, on her left leg, her right one in the air midstep. When she would get a hold of him…

She wouldn't mention how she was worried she was his puppet, doing things at his command, whether she could move by herself or not. She knew that she would always travel with him by her own free will, but she also knew that he had his own agenda.

Because he needed a companion.

If a tree fell in a forest when no one was there to hear it, did it make a sound? If a Time Lord saved a world when there was no one there to know it, was he still a hero? She was inclined to say yes- oh, God…

There was a Mantodean.

There she was, stuck like a lemon in the middle of the room, and she could see it down the corridor… any second now – oh, it had seen her, it had seen her… She tried to scream out with her mind, praying desperately that in a spectacular twist the implant in her forehead would turn out to be able to transmit thought waves to its controller. _Doctor, god damnit, look at the screen!_

It was skittering closer, multi‐faceted eyes examining this intruder in its path, this alien creature that threatened the security of its home. Not that she was doing much threatening at the moment. As the redhead watched, the creature's mandibles sprang apart, like a gardener whipping open a pair of pruning shears. If they were slammed shut, her head would fall to the floor as easily as an unwanted twig.

_Doctor, help!_

And then… her knees braced, and she was flying into the air, soaring towards the high ceiling, and her arms were reaching over her head –

– and she grabbed hold. Of what, she had no idea, she couldn't look upwards, but it almost felt like… stone? Moss or vines, perhaps? In any case, her fingers were dung in good, and the Doctor couldn't know that, so at least she was in the clear about that, right? Her legs lifted up, under her, and she looked down enough to see the Mantodean scurrying around, upset or possibly annoyed.

_You and me both bucko,_ she thought, eyeing it warily.

The Mantodean was bouncing slightly on its back legs – preparing to jump? It was right under her, it would grab her, bring her down, snip off her head…

Chloe's hands stopped gripping. They opened wide.

She fell.

She landed right on top of the Mantodean.

She didn't think the Mantodean was too injured, just knocked to the ground, probably a bit dazed. She found herself jumping to her feet, running away, leaving the giant insect still lying in the middle of the floor.

Round a corner, over a chasm, through a door, into a tunnel.

The Doctor was back in control, and she was safe. Well, as safe as she could be round here, anyway.

* * *

Aaaaand he left again.

Honestly, this almost felt like payback for all the times she was playing an MMO and had to afk during a group thing. But still, the difference between then and now was that back then, video game characters had been just that, rather than, say, actual humans? But wait, she would've said the same thing about the Doctor and Rose Tyler eight years ago. Did that mean, in an alternate dimension, her characters existed?

_Poor bastards_ _,_ she thought with a grimace. It was giving her a headache- no, that wasn't right. The disc in her head as moving, shifting. Things were moving inside her: in her mind's eye she could see fibres worming around, wriggling along the pathways of her body. If she was X-rayed now, she'd look like one of those diagrams of the nervous system, a million wires threading through her, and she could feel every one of them. Then – after only a few seconds, or perhaps a lifetime – the pain faded, but a feeling remained, swamping every bit of her, from a tickle in her throat to a tingle in her toes.

When she next moved, it was as if her feet never touched the floor, never once ever tripped over a corner of a rug or missed that last step. Corridors flashed past, barriers were breached as she barely paused for breath. If Chloe could have cried for joy, she would have done so.

She reached the top of a series of stone steps, and there she finally stopped, gliding to a graceful halt. She wasn't out of breath; she didn't ache or have a stitch. Technology like this, and they use it to further a war. Just went to show how people could be smart and yet have no brains at all. Her hand went to her pocket – and pulled out her recently retrieved cell phone. Her other hand started to press its keys. It scrolled through the address book. It stopped at a name.

_Doctor what are you doing?_

It pressed 'dial'. It held up the phone to Chloe's ear.

" _Hello? Rose?_ "

"Hello, this is the Doctor." She found herself saying. _Oh great, the one time I play Doctor, it's literally because he's controlling me._

" _You don't sound yourself, Doctor,_ " he said. " _D'you have some sort of accident?_ "

"You're probably a bit surprised," 'She' said. "Or more likely you've just tried to be witty. Chloe can hear you but I can't, and she can't answer back, so you might as well just shut up and listen. I need you to do something. It's really important, and unfortunately I don't have anyone else I can ask."

"Thanks a lot," Mickey muttered.

"Now," she continued, "I hope you're good at playing _Death to Mantodeans_ , cos believe me, you're gonna have to play like you've never played before…"

* * *

Her only thought process as the Doctor used her voice to outline the plan was _am I really developing a northern accent? I worked so hard to keep my Mid-West American one!_

* * *

After a while, she was finally commanded to sit down ( _Thank you so much Rose!_ ) before she pulled out the phone again. "This is the Doctor," she said as soon as Mickey answered "I hope you're paying attention. If you've found any active games, this is what I want you to do: once you're in game, _jump around_ _._ Go from one side of the room to the next. We have a map that allows us to track players." There was a pause. "Brilliant. Good work, Mickey. Right, I'm sending Chloe to meet your player. Keep doing exactly what I told you. If you feel resistance, you haven't overridden the controls properly. Chloe, soon you'll meet another player. I can't undo the control disc on their forehead, not at this distance; once it's been activated one wrong move could make their brain go squish."

_Yuck_ _,_ she distantly thought as she stood up again and started walking.

"What I hope I can do, though," the Doctor continued, "through you, using the sonic screwdriver, is undo the circuits that make people explode if they leave the Mantodean stronghold. Mickey, you'll then follow my instructions from before. But you've gotta find all the other people in there too. Six people moving around, one of them's you. Chloe." there was a pause as she stopped walking for a moment. "Seven people stuck here and there, that's paused games, Mickey. That's people in trouble. You've gotta find them. That's twelve lives in your hands."

_He won't crack under pressure, right?_ She thought. _They had to obviously get through this ok enough._

* * *

The Doctor's words were still pouring out of her mouth, and she was trying to listen to what she was saying as she walked down the hall, seeing the human figure slowly growing bigger.

The other player was a woman, a pretty black woman in her thirties, wearing a scarlet trouser suit. Her eyes were wide with terror. Chloe wished she could call out something reassuring, let her know it was going to be OK, that she'd soon be out of here, but her mouth was still pouring out lefts and rights and straight‐ons into the phone, and Rose could say nothing of her own volition. The woman was getting closer and closer.

"That's Mrs Nkomo," Chloe heard herself say. Mrs Nkomo was getting closer still.

"Whoops," Mickey's voice said in her ear, as Mrs Nkomo, eyes darting from side to side in alarm, ran straight into Rose. The two players stared ahead as they were carefully positioned facing each other. Rose's hand found the sonic screwdriver and held it out in front of her.

"Don't worry, Mrs Nkomo," she found herself saying, the very words she'd wanted to force out. "We'll soon get you out of there. Chloe here is going to disconnect a few things, then we're going to lead you out. Half an hour, tops, it'll all be over. Oooh, here comes someone else." She swivelled around. Approaching down a steep slope behind her was a middle‐aged white man. "Apparently that's a Mr Johnson. He's been gone hours. Lucky man, the Mantodeans must've missed him. Come on, Chloe," she said, "let's get on with it." She was turned back to Mrs Nkomo, and the sonic screwdriver began its work.

* * *

Chloe had been busy with the sonic screwdriver. She had no idea how it was working – she had no idea if it even was working, but she hadn't heard any explosions, so she was hoping for the best.

She met up with another middle‐aged white man – Mr Snow, she'd been told – who had a sort of glazed look in his eyes, not as if he was scared, just as if he was refusing to believe this was really happening. She'd worked the Doctor's magic on Mr Nkomo, someone called Anne something or other, someone called Tim Breeley, and a Japanese girl who must have been there for ages because the Doctor said his friend Robert didn't recognise her at all. _One more person was heading her way,_ her own voice had told her.

And she hoped against hope that this was nearly it, that she could get the rescuing stuff over with, so that someone could get around to rescuing her.

* * *

She was shooting and kicking the Mantodean.

That was her first and only clue that something was wrong. Then, suddenly, she spoke again. "Chloe, it's me," her voice said. "It's all gone a bit pear‐shaped this end. I'm not going to be able to say much in case they notice what I'm doing. Can't let you speed along either, they'd notice that too. I can't get you out of there, not yet. If you don't carry on to the middle, they're going to kill everyone. But I'll sort it. See you later."

And it felt like someone punched her in the gut, but she understood.

Needs of the many, and such.

_No wonder they're so sad whenever they saw me_ _,_ she thought, thinking back to 10's, 11's, 12's and 13's looks they had given her when they thought she hadn't noticed. _Rule One, the Doctor Lies._

* * *

The Doctor was moving her slowly, reluctantly, almost.

Her head turned, and she caught a glimpse of a figure some way ahead of her. Was everything back on track then?

But she had suddenly stopped still, she wasn't hurrying forward to meet it like before. The figure was still coming forward, though, and with a start, Chloe realised who it was.

Darren Pye.

She knew he was on the planet with them, and anyway the Doctor had told Mickey about it through her, but he hadn't said a word about Darren being sent to the stronghold. She wondered if the Doctor knew. Surely he wouldn't be so eager to rescue every last person if he did. She sighed. Yes, he would, he was the Doctor.

Darren was clumping towards her like a lead‐booted ape. She instinctively tried to get out of his way, even though she obviously couldn't. When he got close, she was amazed to see that he was scowling. It wasn't that his face had frozen in an angry grimace, he was actually scowling. And there was more: every now and then he would almost pull back a limb, resisting the imperative placed upon him by the wires in his brain. _If he can fight against this…_ She could tell when Darren had seen her, because his expression changed. His eyes narrowed, and the hatred directed at her was so intense Chloe felt it like a blow. If she had been able to move, she would have staggered back.

Darren Pye was in front of Rose now. She couldn't help but stare right into his face. She could see every zit, every broken blood vessel, every snotty hair bristling out of his nostrils. And then she sensed movement, and forced her eyeballs to look down, as far as they would go. Darren was raising his gun.

_Oh, hoe, don't fucking do it_ , she thought, her blood running cold.

Darren Pye grinned. His mouth opened slowly, and with an obvious effort he forced out the words: "Baa baa beech…"

_Oh, god damnit_ , she thought, doing her best to brace herself.

It hit Chloe like a bullet.

The impact threw her backwards, and she knew she had to play dead, so as soon as she landed, she closed her eyes, holding her breath. About a minute later, she felt safe enough to take a breath and open her eyes, something bumping against her feet. She couldn't look to see what it was. Then she felt herself move. She began to stand up. As she did, she saw the thing at her feet.

It was Darren Pye's head.


	27. Winner Takes All (Part 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team TARDIS saves the day...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last Chapter Summary: Chloe was taken into the Mantodean stronghold and forced to walk around before discovering a severely devoured body that she was forced to touch to get Rose's phone back. During that time, the Doctor, through her, contacted Mickey and the two formed a plan that would allow the other humans in the stronghold to break free. She managed to rescue all but two, one of which being the human who was working with the Quevvils. When she came face to face with him, his controller had him shoot her just before the Quevvils managed to pull him away, tossing him into a swarm of Mantodeans. When Chloe was able to move, his head was at her feet.

Chloe had been taken away from Darren Pye's head, away from the Mantodeans she could see in the distance, chomping away at something unseen, but perfectly imaginable, on the floor.

She had been taken down many more tunnels, across chasms, up steps, and through she wasn't sure how many encrypted locks and booby‐trapped doors, and she was really fed up. Then, just as she'd given up hope of ever hearing another human voice again, she spoke to herself. "Chloe, it's me. You're nearly there, so I've got to risk it." _I've got to risk you_ , wasn't said, but definitely heard. Her hand pulled the mobile out of her pocket, and began to dial. "Just got to speak to Mickey again. Listen, I'm going to get you out of there. Once you're at close enough range, they're going to activate the disruptors. I don't know what's going to happen then. But you'll be OK. Trust me." The phone was held up to her ear.

" _What's that you were saying about being OK and trusting me?_ " Mickey's voice said. "I _s everything all right, Chloe?_ "

But she couldn't answer him, and the Doctor couldn't hear him. "Mickey? I hope you're all set. Because it's going to be any minute now."

* * *

The final lock was the trickiest yet. Chloe avoided the acid flow and the razor blades that thudded out at head height, while standing at the top of a sheer cliff, and finally cracked the code. Or rather, the Doctor did all that.

The door opened. A hundred Mantodeans turned to look at her. "Mickey, now!" she found herself yelling.

Every light died. Every technological hum cut out.

"Jesus," Chloe whispered. She said it to herself, in her head, but was astonished to hear the sound come out of her mouth. She could speak again! She tried moving a foot. Yes! She could walk again!

Her delight was slightly tempered by the realisation that she was going to have to get out of this room full of Mantodeans without any of those superpowers the control device had given her. This room was full of Mantodeans – who were all looking at her. "What have you done!" one screeched. Chloe blinked. She'd never heard a Mantodean speak before

"You can speak Galactic Standard!" she said.

There was a collective hiss from the Mantodeans. "It talks! It talks!"

The Mantodean who first spoke stepped forward. "If it talks, if it is not a dumb beast like the others, then it will explain why it has done this to us, before we crush its thorax and it can talk no more!"

"I demand a parlay granted by Convention 15 of the Shadow Proclamation," Chloe immediately said, getting more raised heads. "The Quevvils have been kidnapping humans from Earth, a planet classified as Level 5. They have forced them, forced _us_ to act against our will, using their technology to override our synapsis and force others to either unknowingly control us or force us to control others at gun point. I volunteered to come here so that me and my friends might be able to stop humanity's part of this war."

"Are you an ally of the Quevvils?' A Mantodean questioned.

"No. As I've said before, they forced us to act against our will. We couldn't move for ourselves, or even speak. Many of the humans that were here before never even know how to hold a weapon properly, let alone _use_ it." She paused, looking over them sadly. "I'm really sorry for what's happened."

But the first Mantodean was coming towards her, and its mandibles were opening. "You brought this 'disruptor' into the centre of our stronghold!" it said. "You have destroyed all our technology! You have brought all our defences down!"

"I know. I'm sorry," Chloe didn't move as the Mantodeans behind her were closed in. And the jaws in front of her were opening wider and wider, getting closer and closer…

The Mantodean's jaws crunched shut.

The disruptor, however, now lay at her feet, the steel‐strong straps now neatly severed.

"We shall study this," the Mantodean said. "We shall learn how to reverse the damage it has done, and we shall revenge ourselves on the Quevvils!"

The Mantodeans began to crowd round, legs and feelers reaching out to the disruptor, suggesting this thing or that thing to try. Part of Chloe wanted to stay, because of the parlay, she couldn't be touched, but instead, she turned towards one of the Mantodeans who wasn't trying to reach for it, bowing her head slightly.

"I have to go and ensure any humans who're in the maze still make it back home," she informed them quietly. "Please, thank your leader for allowing me this audience. I'm sad that it had gotten this far without us noticing."

"What do we call you?" it asked.

"My name is Chloe. Chloe Nightingale. The person who did all the work figuring out what was happening was The Doctor," she answered with a little grin.

"The Doctor and the Songbird," it chittered, and she felt a cold chill down her spin.

"Farewell," she said instead, turning around and walking away

* * *

Chloe was inching her way very, very carefully down a very, very steep slope, when she heard someone crying. "Hello?" she called out. "Is there anyone there?"

The crying stopped, choked off. "Hello?" a woman's voice said. "Oh, I'm here, I'm here!"

Chloe scrambled down the rest of the way. Her night vision was getting better, and she could just see the dim figure of a woman. "I'm coming!" she called.

"Stop!" the woman called back, turning towards her in a panic. She scrambled to stop her feet carrying on forward of their own volition. In the dark, she'd not noticed the pit in front of her. She managed to dig her hands and feet in just before she could drop.

"Thanks!" she said. "I'd have gone right in!" The woman half smiled.

"Don't thank me yet," she said. "I think we're trapped." Chloe turned around. Behind them was the steep slope. Hard enough to slide down. Impossible to climb up for normal humans. In front of them was the pit.

"Well, this is a predicament," she huffed. "I'm Chloe."

"Daisy," the other woman said. She still seemed rather shell‐shocked. She'd asked Chloe who else had got out of there, and she had told her about everyone she'd encountered in the stronghold. She hoped they'd all got out. Daisy didn't think she knew any of them apart from Tim Breeley. "But then, I've been in there for a long time, I think," she said. "It stopped once or twice, but always started again."

"You were lucky," Chloe said, making sure to keep her tone gentle.

Daisy smiled sadly. "Lucky? Perhaps. But that was everyone? They got through people very quickly. So no one else can have survived from the time I went in. I… I hope…" Tears were streaming down her cheeks. "It was so hard, just me and him, his dad didn't want to know, it's been so hard making ends meet, but I tried so hard… I loved him so much, and I know that teens are supposed to be difficult but he seems to resent me so much… But I'd have done anything for him, anything… And you try to protect them from measles and mumps and running out into the road and playing with matches, but you can't protect them from things like this, things that you didn't know about, things you'd never have believed were real…"

"I was the same for my goddaughter, even before I officially became one of her guardians," she nodded. "But sometimes, the more you hide, the more you try to protect them… the worse the outcome will be." She couldn't help but think back to the car crash and the news that followed. How bad would _Doomsday_ be?

"She must really be lucky," Daisy said, voice quiet. "To have someone like you."

"I'm only doing it cause my parents never did for me. But you… you're doing so good for your son. You'll see him again, Daisy. I…" she trailed off, breath hitching slightly as she realized what she was about to do. "I promise."

Daisy started to turn her head to look at her, but then a familiar sound came, causing the redhead's mind to go blank as she saw the blue phone box appear in front of them, bringing light to the darkness around them. Chloe watched as a young man poked his head out and looked right at Daisy, who was staring at him.

"Bobbles!" she screamed. "Oh, my darling, my darling!"

The boy put up with her massive embrace with fairly bad grace. "Mum," he said, "my name is Robert."

Then the Doctor appeared, still the same as ever, grinning away. "Rescue party!" he said. He turned to Daisy, and seemed to be checking her out. Rose coughed from behind him. "Is this your mum then?" he said to Robert. "Funny, that. She's not really how I imagined her from your description…" Robert shrugged and made a face. "Hello," said the Doctor to Daisy, holding out a hand. "I'm the Doctor." She grabbed at his hand with both of hers, thanks pouring out of her mouth. It took a while for the Doctor to extricate himself.

During that time, Rose had gone around them and pulled Chloe into a tight hug, shaking as she pressed her face into the redhead's shoulder. "I was s-so _scared_ _,_ " she whispered as the older woman gently wrapped her arms around her and hummed.

"Wanna know something?" she murmured back, getting a glimpse of tearful hazel eyes. "I was scared too. But I knew what I had to do, and I knew what was at stake, and I knew I couldn't fail, no matter what. Breakdowns can happen later, just so long as they eventually happen."

"Why were you scared?" the blonde asked, but the redhead turned her gaze towards the Doctor, who was looking at them.

"There you are then. All right?"

It was a loaded question and all three knew it.

So, Chloe just smiled, gave Rose one last squeeze before stepping away with a single nod. "I'm fine,"

_Rule 2: Don't let him see the damage._

* * *

They landed back on the Powell Estate, opposite the Chinese and the youth club, and Chloe wasn't a bit surprised. The place was deserted, though – the latest of latenighters had gone to bed, and the early birds weren't up yet. It was that depressing time in the early morning where the only people about were milkmen, police officers – and time travellers.

She explained to Daisy and Robert where they were. "There won't be buses for an hour or two, I don't reckon," she said. But Daisy said that was fine; they'd find a night bus, or they'd walk, or get a taxi, or something. Robert seemed to be about to protest, didn't want to go, but Daisy stood firm, and only a minute or two after the TARDIS had landed, the two of them were walking away together, Robert shrugging off Daisy's protective arm.

As they disappeared from sight, she was well aware how bad of a position she was in. Sure, she stepped in and stopped Rose from being the carrier ( _probably stopped the Doctor from inflicting a lot of pain on her too_ ) but that still did little for the seven years that she had lied to the entire galaxy.

"So this is it then," she said, keeping her voice quiet. "My Aberdeen."

"What does that mean?" Rose asked quietly. "We should go check in with everyone. Thank Mickey for saving the day, and all that. Make sure he's given Mrs Burton her shopping basket back. Stuff like that."

"Not right now Rose," the Doctor answered, and Chloe finally turned, doing her best to keep her face neutral. "Not until she tells us what she is and how she knows so much."

"And I already told you, I already explained this in my past. Rose's first day of primary. Go there and get your answers. If you have any more questions after that, then I'm fair game."

She took a step back, and then another, and another. Once she was far enough away, she turned around and began to jog away, her heart thumping far too painfully.

* * *

She had _just_ shut her eyes to sleep after repairing everything when the door jiggled open. Assuming it was Jack or Sato checking in on her, she just threw the second pillow over her face, well aware that the music box had suddenly stopped. Her bedroom door creaked open, but no one came in, so she just shrugged it off again. As the door creaked shut, she risked a peek, seeing a leather-clad arm pulling on the handle, making her grimace.

But hadn't 13 said something about seeing the box and realizing she had to be important? Chances were, he was going to go back now, which left her groaning and throwing the pillow over her head across the room, hitting the folding doors to the closet. "Can't I just get one more day of peace?" she begged to nothing before getting up and going to her closet, kicking the pillow on the way.

Opening it, she pulled out an exposed-shoulder shirt and some ripped up jeans, the legs rolled and pinned up enough for her to not worry about tripping over them. Quickly, she changed into the clothes and did a quick in place jog. Going into the bathroom, she looked at her face, eyes darting to every freckle and mole. "I'm not going to try the makeup," she muttered. "I don't need it. As far as I'm aware, freckles aren't banned on the TARDIS."

"They very much so are," 11's voice cut in, making her turn around sharply, mascara in hand as if she were holding a rapier. "You could poke your eye out with that,"

"Har har," she retorted, relaxing from her attack position. "Why are you here? And what do you mean freckles are banned?"

"You're too cute with those little constellations across your body," he answered in that 'duh' tone, as if she said 2 plus 2 equaled 5. It made her mind go haywire as her body froze. "Right, here," he gently grabbed her left arm, putting a watch on her wrist. "It's tied to your timeline, the format is American so you don't get confused."

"That's…" she finally said, blinking and looking at the watch. It had hands of gold with a silver background, and in the center, holding the hands together was Gallifreyan. "This is wonderful, Doctor. Thank you," she pulled him into a quick hug, quickly stepping away. "And don't think I'm not done with the flirting you just did then."

He just did this weird smile, wiggling the mascara in front of her. "Sit on the counter," he instructed. "I'll do this." She gave him a disbelieving look, but did as told, not flinching as he seemed to do it almost flawlessly (there was one poke, but it was the corner of her eye, so she wasn't too concerned about it). As he capped it, she got ready to get off the counter, but he stopped her. "Close your eyes?"

"Doctor?"

"Please?" Something… broke. His tone wasn't right, so, after looking at him one last time, she did as he told her to, confused as she felt one of his hands go through her hair, while the other reached behind her. "You were always there when I needed you the most, Chloe Nightingale. Even when it didn't seem like it."

She went to go ask what was wrong, but he put her jaw back up, and she felt lipstick on her lips. She went to open her eyes, but hesitated, unsure if she'd want to see what was happening. _Doctor, why are you saying goodbye?_ She wanted to ask, the events of the past couple days flying through her head. _Why are you acting like I'll never see you again?_

"You'll ask me, in a few months, if you think that everything I went through was worth it. That if I had a chance to go back and stop it, would I? I didn't have an answer then, but I do now. If the events that brought me here led me to you, then it was so, _so_ worth it."

The lipstick hovered on her lips, as if he knew that if he lifted it, even slightly, she'd talk, so she was forced to stay silent, in the mental dark as he rested his head on hers. _Doctor… wait… 11 saying goodbye… not letting me open my eyes… there's only two events he's ever thought he'd seriously die and gone back in time to say farewell…_

"I'll see you, my Nightingale," he murmured, pressing the tube of lipstick in her hand, and as she went to snap her eyes open, there was a bright flash that ebbed away and…

Why was she on the counter with her eyes closed?

Opening her eyes, she blinked, looking at the back of her shower, where there was a cracked tile. Huh. She'd have to call the repairman next time they were Earthside.

As she got down from the counter, and she heard Rose's voice in the living room, she paused and pressed a hand to her chest.

Why did it feel so tight?

Shaking her head, she put the tube of lipstick back, looking at the mirror in amazement. There was no way that was her with just that little makeup… "Chloe, you in there?" Rose asked from the other side of the door.

"Y-yeah, sorry, just doing something," she answered, opening it. "Odd thing is, I… don't remember doing this? Like, I remember walking in, but then next thing, I'm on the counter with my eyes closed."

"Think your girlfriend came in? Or maybe one of your boyfriends?" Rose teased, making Chloe roll her eyes, walking into the living room, looking for her sneakers.

"They're just my friends," she argued, spotting the black shoes beside the table. "I would've thought you'd be out in the stars by now."

"I was," Rose admitted. "With you an' the Doctor. We, him and I, just came back from Justica."

_Oh_ , suddenly Rose's words made a lot of sense. "Ah. Are you here to give the bad news then?"

"Bad news?"

"I'm not allowed to come with y'all anymore," she shrugged. "Figured it was only a matter of time before I got on his nerves, and I think I definitely did it over those two events." Rose's face went from confused to disbelieving and then understanding.

"No, we- he still wants you to come," she corrected. "Even more now that our whats-its are linked."

"The timelines," Chloe sighed. "I haven't even packed. I mean, I have a go bag for emergencies, but…"

"I'll help you," the blonde decided. "One, no, two suitcases."

"Just one," Chloe bargained. "I can always ask the TARDIS if I can borrow some clothes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter might be posted sometime next week! I'll be doing a redo of _Dalek_ with Chloe added into the mix. Expect a lot of Drama!


	28. Dalek (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe's impact in the timeline begins to show...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a little note: stories that have two or more parts are not updated on AO3 until all of the parts are complete!

"So this is a distress signal?" Chloe asked as the Doctor danced around the console, Rose coming in as the ship stopped her shaking.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked, walking in, dressed with a white tank top and dark jeans. For a second, Chloe felt like making a joke of them wearing the wrong outfits but stayed silent as they walked out of the TARDIS.

"Don't know, definitely some kind of signal drawing the TARDIS off course," the Doctor answered as they started to look around in the dark.

"Where are we?"

"Earth, Utah, North America," the Doctor's voice had her freezing from where she was closing the TARDIS's door. "About half a mile underground."

"And… _when_ are we?"

"2012," she answered before the Doctor could, voice strained. "Of course this is going to be the first one I'm officially here for. What did I do? Did I manage to piss off a god in a past life or something?"

"Chloe? Are you ok?" Rose asked and… she should've made the mention that she would be 26.

"Fine," she muttered as the Doctor found a light switch, causing the light to fill the museum.

"Blimey, it's a great big museum!"

"An alien museum. Someone's got a hobby. They must've spent a fortune on this. Chunks of meteorite, moon dust…" he moved forward, forcing the other two to follow him. "That's the milometer from the Roswell Spaceship."

"That's a bit of Slitheen! That's a Slitheen's arm, it's been stuffed."

Chloe turned to the display the Doctor was about to look at, a sense of fear and sadness filling her as the Doctor walked to it. "Ah! Look at you!" It was a head of a Cyberman. She walked to stand beside the Doctor.

"What is it?" Rose asked.

"An old friend of mine... well, enemy. The stuff of nightmares reduced to an exhibit. I'm getting old." The Doctor answered.

"I used to be scared of them as a kid," Chloe admitted quietly. "I'd sneak downstairs to watch some shows and they popped up once. All it took, once. I used to be so terrified of them. But now… it just looks like a sock puppet, doesn't it?"

"Sock puppet," the Doctor snorted, amusement clear in his blue eyes as he looked at it again. "The stuff of nightmares, reduced to an exhibit. I'm getting _old_ _._ "

"Is that where the signal is coming from?" Rose asked, grabbing Chloe's arm, though she relaxed as the two shook their heads.

"Nah, it's stone dead." The Doctor answered. "The signal's alive. Something's reaching out… calling for help." he started to reach up and Chloe immediately caught his wrist, so glad that the golem body was stronger than a Time Lord. "What?"

"All the exhibits are trapped. One touch that isn't Van Statten and alarms go up. We're probably already caught on the cameras, but if the alarms go…"

"Right, so no touching the baby," Rose breathed, and Chloe found herself snorting in a depressed fit of laughter. "What?"

"It's just… spoilers. I hope it never happens, but if it does, you'll get it. It's just… a really sad thing." with a wave, she realized she was still holding the Doctor's arm and let go, instead moving towards the Judoon and Adipose things. "I'm more concerned on how he managed to get this…"

"What are they?" The Doctor asked, and she shook her head.

"They happen in your next regeneration," she told him. "Let's just get into the cage, take care of the bastard and get out, ok?" Rose furrowed her brows.

"Chloe, why are you angry?" she asked. "You haven't been like this since Jimmy Stone." She felt a second fury in her blood at the name and gritted her teeth.

"Rose, you're going to see a lot of dark sides today," she simply said. "And I can guarantee this alien makes me so much angrier than Jimmy Stone." She saw the blonde's fearful look and decided not to comment on it, instead choosing to go towards the door. "We landed beside the cage, not in it, which means we'll have to find our way past the soldiers."

"Well, if someone is collecting aliens, that'll make me Exhibit A, won't it?" The Doctor asked, and before she could stop him, his hand touched the Adipose exhibit, causing the alarms to blare and soldiers immediately surrounding them.

"God damnit Doctor," she muttered under her breath, hands going up.

* * *

"What does it do?"

Chloe glowered at Van Statten as he held up the instrument, Adam standing beside him proudly. "Well, you see, the tubes on the side must be to channel something. I think maybe fuel," he started making her grimace

"I wouldn't hold it like that," the Doctor told him.

"Shut it," Goddard snapped.

"Really though, you're doing it wrong." he continued.

"Is it dangerous?"

"No, it just makes you look stupid," she smirked a bit at his kab before he held out his hands, not at all surprised when guns were raised then brought down as the object was handed to him. "You just need to be…" as he trailed off, he gently began running his fingers over different parts of the instrument, smiling as a lullaby played. "Delicate." Looking up, Chloe saw Rose smiling at him as the others looked impressed.

"It's a musical instrument," Van Statten stated, making her roll her eyes as the Doctor cut the lullaby short.

"And it's a long way from home," the Doctor added, looking at it a bit sadly.

"Here, let me." He ripped the instrument from his grip, making her step a bit closer to the time lord as the human leaned too close to her.

"Delicate," he reminded. "It reacts to the smallest fingerprint." At first, he didn't listen to the time lord and all it did was make a few beeps. "It needs precision," the Doctor added, and he was a bit more gentle, making a few notes play. "Very good, quite the expert."

"As are you." She winced as Van Statten threw the instrument away, glaring at him as he clapped his hands. "Who exactly are you?"

"I'm the Doctor, and who are you?"

"Like you don't know." the human scoffed. Oh, look at her, calling others 'human'. Well, she wasn't technically human anymore, was she? "We're hidden away with the most valuable collection of extraterrestrial artifacts in the world and you just stumble in by mistake."

"Pretty much sums me up, yeah."

"The question is, how did you get in? 53 floors down, with your little cat burglar accomplices." she glowered as he eyed Rose and then her. "Quite a collector yourself, they're rather pretty."

"I'm gonna smack you if you keep eyeing us like meat," Rose snapped, making Van Statten raise an eyebrow.

"She's English too!" He turned towards Adam and Chloe's protective instincts went into overdrive. "Hey, little Lord Fauntleroy, got you a girlfriend."

_Stay away from her fuckboy,_ Chloe's mind snarled as Adam looked over Rose before speaking.

"His name is Henry Van Statten, and he owns the internet."

"No one owns the internet," Rose scoffed.

"And it's best if everyone believes that," Van Statten shot back.

"So you're an expert on just about everything except the things in your museum. Anything you don't understand, you lock up." the Doctor butted in.

"And you claim greater knowledge?"

"I don't need to make claims, I know how good I am."

"And yet, I captured you, right next to the Cage. What were you doing down there?"

"You tell me."

"The Cage contains my one living specimen."

"And what's that?"

"Like you don't know."

"Show me."

"You wanna see it?"

At Rose's scoff, Chloe's eyes immediately snapped to her. "Blimey, you can smell the testosterone," she murmured to the redhead, who frantically nodded.

"Goddard, inform the Cage that we're heading down. You, English, look after the girls."

Almost instantly, her mind went to war as she realized she had to choose; go with Rose and do her best to make sure that there's less death, or go with the Doctor and attempt to make sure he didn't reveal any information in anger?

She'd have to face the Dalek either way, but… she wouldn't be able to reason with both the Doctor and the Dalek at the same time.

So, she stepped away from the Doctor and beside Rose as Van Statten and Goddard led the Doctor out of the room. "Will he be ok?" Rose whispered to her as Adam walked towards them.

_I wish I could say yes Rosie,_ she thought, staring at the door the Time Lord has disappeared into, _I really wish I could._

* * *

The workshop was more cluttered than the show had, well, showed it to be, and Chloe scrunched her nose up a bit as she saw bits of technology that she recognized throughout the show.

"Sorry about the mess." Adam said. "Mister Van Statten sort of lets me do my own thing, so long as I deliver the goods. What do you think that is?"

He was paying attention to Rose, thankfully, giving Chloe free reign to dig through a pile, looking for… she didn't know what. Something was just tugging at her chest, telling her to dig and to keep digging until the tugging stopped. "Er, a lump of metal?" Rose offered. "Chloe, she knows more 'bout this than me."

She could feel Adam's eyes turn to her as she finally managed to pull out something that was very much a cause for concern; a tiny piece of coral, but it seemed to glow a bit as she brushed her fingers against it. "But she's mute," he scoffed.

"Fuck off, you spineless idiot," she snapped, making him reel back. "You know jackshit about the universe and it almost caused the extinction of a species."

"Chloe?" Rose stood, walking a bit towards her. "What is that?"

"Something that needs the Doctor's immediate attention if we want her to live," she answered, making the man balk.

"That's an alien?!"

"I thought I told you to fuck off! You lot, all you do is consume and destroy. You take without even the thought of _giving_." she snarled, and he gained an affronted look.

"I'd give anything to see the stars up close. But that's never going to happen. Not in our lifetimes." he argued, and Rose stepped between them.

"Ok, everyone take a deep breath. Adam, you never know. What about all those people who say they've been inside of spaceships and things and talked to aliens? Chloe, _stop picking fights_ _._ He's just been kept in the dark from Van Statten and we both know it." There was a silence as Chloe turned her head, holding the baby coral in her hands. Shit, this was bad. Maybe she could sneak it onto the TARDIS before everything happened? No, then she risked the chance of being caught behind the Dalek, and even then…

"Fine," she groused. "'Sides, most of the people doin' the alien abductions are lying anyways."

"I think they're nutters." Adam agreed, and it made a horrible taste go into Chloe's mouth.

Rose seemed to catch onto this and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, grinning at the man. "So, how'd you end up here?"

"Van Statten has agents all over the world looking for geniuses to recruit." he explained.

Rose rolled her eyes, and suddenly Chloe was glad about her influence over the blonde girl. "Oh, right. You're a genius."

"Sorry, but yeah. I can't help it. I was born clever. When I was eight, I logged onto the US Defence System. Nearly caused World War Three." He said it in such a joking tone, Chloe wanted to snarl.

"And that's funny, is it?" She growled out. "Making everyone think they're going to die at any minute?"

"Well, you should've been there just to see them running about." he tried to defend. "Fantastic!"

"You sound like the Doctor," Rose noted

_That's just being rude towards the Doctor,_ Chloe thought.

"Are you and him?" Wow, that was a hook if she saw it.

"No, we're just friends. Chloe, however..."

" _Rose!_ " Chloe hissed, feeling her face grow hot.

"Good."

Rose turned towards him with a frown. "Why is it good?"

"It just is." he deflected.

The blonde shrugged. "So, wouldn't you rather be downstairs? I mean, you've got these bits of metal and stuff, but Mister Van Statten's got a living creature down there."

_Rose, no, I'd rather be anywhere else right now_ _,_ Chloe thought.

"Yeah. Yeah, well, I did ask, but he keeps it to himself. Although, if you're a genius, it doesn't take long to patch through on the comm. system."

"Let's have a look, then." Rose pulled the redhead over towards Adam, where he was on the computer, pulling up the video feed from the cage.

"It doesn't do much, the alien. It's weird. It's kind of useless. It's just like this great big pepper pot." he noted, making Chloe grimace.

The Dalek's screams filled the air of the workshop and after a few seconds, Chloe was forced to look away.

"It's being tortured! Where's the Doctor? Chloe, why didn't you say anything?!" The redhead winced as the blonde whirled towards her.

"The Doctor can't help anymore," she finally said, slowly. "All we can do is go down there."

Rose turned back to Adam with a determined look. "Then take us down there. Now." She grabbed Chloe's wrist and pulled her out of the room. "What do you mean, ' _the Doctor can't help anymore_ '?"

"He got into an argument with the alien," she sighed, using her free hand to rub her face. "And he mentioned the Time War and how everyone but him died in it."

"He's being experimented on too?" Rose whispered, making Chloe grimace and nod.

"Van Statten threatens you too, I think, while he's scanning the Doctor and figures out he has two hearts and a respiratory bypass."

"I'm going to kill him," the blonde growled. "He'll wish he never got that pepper pot bloke."

"Er, I think Daleks are genderless," Chloe muttered. "Every time I've seen one, it's always been in reference to 'it', 'them' and occasionally 'him'."

"Is that what it's called then, Dalek? Sounds a bit like garlic," she mused, making Chloe snort.

"Oh, there have been _so_ many food puns surrounding this show." she agreed. "I can't even begin to list them off without sounding crazy."

"Maybe when we're baking some muffins?" she asked, her hazel eyes going wide, making the redhead huff.

"I should've never let you know that face works on me," she muttered. "Is this how he feels with Clara? God, I hope so."

"Clara?" Rose asked as they got to an elevator, Adam reaching over her shoulder to swipe his card, making her grimace. She had forgotten he had been there.

"Later," she promised.

* * *

"Level three access. Special clearance from Mr. Van Statten."

Chloe hesitated at the back of the Cage as Rose and Adam fearlessly stepped closer to the homicidal alien. "Don't touch it," she warned, shivering as the Dalek's eyestalk swiveled to her before going to Rose, who was far too close for her liking.

"Hello," the blonde murmured. "Are you in pain? My name's Rose Tyler. I've got a friend, two friends, they can help. One's called the Doctor, and she's Chloe Nightingale."

"Rose," she hissed. "Don't introduce me to the homicidal death machine."

" _Yes_ _,_ " she shivered at the Dalek's voice, but couldn't stop the pain of sadness as she once again looked over it. It was still living, trapped inside that metal casing and forced to go mad…

"What?"

" _I am in pain. They tortured me. But they still fear me. Do you fear me?_ "

Rose paused before shaking her head. "No."

"No, you should fear me, because no one manipulates my friends. Rose, it didn't start speaking to you _until_ you mentioned you traveled with the Doctor. You didn't find that odd at _all_ _?_ " She asked, making the blonde's brows furrow. "But unfortunately, there's very little we can do now. So, Dalek, I'm going to propose a deal. You can either go with it, or you can stay here and continue to be tortured and experimented on."

The alien's eyestalk was on her as she stalked forward, rolling back slightly as she jabbed a finger towards it, but not quite touching it. " _What do you want?_ "

"The Doctor has been taken, stripped, and is being tortured as we speak. If we don't do something, that's three alien species gone extinct, and a breeding ground for Reapers. I think we both know which option is better." It said nothing as she paused, letting her words sink in. "Now, if you're smart, you'll help us get the Doctor free with minimal human deaths."

It looked between her, Rose, and Adam, who had backed into a corner as she started to lay out the terms of her deal. " _I… accept."_

"Rose?" she looked towards the blonde, who looked like a deer in headlights.

"Yeah, Chloe?"

"You can touch them now." The blonde blinked, looking at her slightly lifted hand and the redhead, who nodded. She then spoke without turning back to the Dalek as Rose took one last step forward. "If you betray my trust, know that you'll severely wish you hadn't by the end of the hour."

Rose touched the Dalek, and faintly, Chloe felt as if she had signed a deal with the devil himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra side note: I'd die of happiness/for you if I ever got fan art done of Chloe.


	29. Dalek (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The continuation of last chapter...

" _Genetic material extrapolated. Initiate cellular reconstruction!_ "

"Chloe?" Rose asked nervously from where she was behind the redhead as the alien broke the chains.

"Get outside," she ordered as Simmons entered. "I have a feeling our deal won't be kept for long."

As they shuffled out, she could see Simmons sneering at the alien, barely catching a glimpse of the sucker going straight for the human's face as the Cage shut. On the video feed, she could see it sucking out the moisture from him. "It's killing him!" Rose gasped. "Do something!"

"I can't," she snapped. "If Time Lord tech damages me permanently, then it's reasonable to think that so would Dalek tech! We have to move, get to the control room and lower the bulkheads before cutting power all together, but then we risk trapping a fully powered Dalek with the TARDIS."

As she was speaking, one of the TV's flickered to life, showing the Doctor and Van Statten behind him. " _You've got to keep it in that cell._ " the time lord told them.

"We can't. The lock only has a billion combinations," Chloe argued, turning to Rose and Adam. "You two, move it. We have to get as far away as we can."

"Like it can get past that many," one of the guards beside Chloe scoffed.

" _A Dalek's a genius. It can calculate a thousand billion combinations in one second flat._ " The Doctor told him as they could see that, inside the Cage, the Dalek was attempting to find the right combination.

Seeing as they weren't moving yet, Chloe let out a huff, grabbing Rose's arm and started to run, forcing the blonde to go with her. "You knew that was going to happen?" Rose asked quietly.

"It's complicated," she said. "Time is always in flux. If certain events don't happen, it could damage a timeline severely. Daleks don't see agreements with other species as binding, so that's why we're going to try and save as many as possible."

"You sound like him, kinda," Rose noted, making Chloe mentally pause.

"Who?"

"The Doctor, with all the talk of timelines."

As they came to a pause, where they needed a key card to get through, one of the guards (De Maggio, Chloe's mind whispered) reached them. "You two are with us, got it?" she motioned towards Adam, and was it really so bad that Chloe had wished he had stayed behind? The two nodded, and De Maggio opened the door, revealing an entire unit of guards.

"Aim for the eyestalk!" Chloe cried out as they ran through.

" _Cover the north wall. Red division, maintain suppressing fire along the perimeter. Blue division- argh!_ " Chloe grimaced as the man's death played over the comms.

As they reached the stairs, Chloe reached behind her, grabbing De Maggio's arm. "It can levitate," she told her. "Please, keep running with us. It won't listen to reason."

"I still have to try," she said, but the redhead shook her head.

"Please," she begged. "You were ordered to get us to safety. If you die, we won't be safe anywhere." The woman hesitated before pushing her forward, following behind her. As she did so, it felt like spiders and ants were dancing across her skin.

"- death machine defeated by a flight of stairs." Adam was taunting as they caught up.

"Move!" She barked out. "Daleks can fly!"

" _Elevate!_ "

Chloe didn't risk looking back as she shoved the younger two humans in front of her up the stairs, knowing that the Dalek would be gliding up the stairs almost silently. "Oh my God," Rose whimpered.

"Keep moving!" De Maggio ordered, and Chloe would've sobbed in relief as she felt the slight crawling sensation on her skin disappear.

* * *

They were at level 58 when they had to run through the warehouse area. "Get off the metal!" She cried out. "It'll electrocute you using the sprinkler system!"

"De Maggio, get them the hell out of here!" the commander yelled, making her scowl, but follow the woman as the Dalek came into the room. As the redhead went to close the door, she could see the Dalek look directly at her.

"It was looking at you." Rose said quietly.

"Yeah, it wants to slaughter us." Adam scoffed.

"I know, but it was looking right at _her_ _._ "

"It was looking all around." De Maggio interrupted. "Now we need to continue running.'

* * *

Chloe was very glad for the training Jack made her do when she officially became part of Hub 3, because she knew that had she attempted to do any of this seven years ago, she would already be dead halfway from the Cage.

As it was, Rose was starting to lag behind, especially as her phone rang, so the redhead quickly took it. "Hi, yes, I know, I'm not Rose, but she's out of breath and we still have several flights to go up."

" _Where are you then?_ " The Doctor didn't sound happy, which was fair, given how, even though he didn't know it, she was the one who released the Dalek.

"Just got past 49's landing," she answered, pausing to let Rose go ahead of her and putting the phone on speaker. "You're on speaker, everyone can hear you now."

" _You've got to keep moving. The vault's being sealed off up at level forty-six._ " The Doctor told them.

"Can't you stop them closing?" Rose gasped out.

" _I'm the one who's closing them. I can't wait and I can't help you. Now for God's sake,_ run."

As she got through 46's door, she pulled the coral out from her pocket (was this why 11 had gone through and given her all those transdimensional deep pockets? She could kiss him and die happily if so), shoving it towards Rose. "Take it," she ordered. "Adam, keep Rose with you at all times!"

"I don't even know what this is!" Rose complained, but took the piece as Adam pulled her forward. "Doctor, we see the bulkheads!"

" _I have to close it,_ " he warned.

"We're nearly there. Give us two seconds!" Rose cried.

" _I'm sorry._ "

"Come on!"

"Hurry miss!"

The bulkhead closed, the noise echoing through the hall.

" _Rose, Chloe, where are you? Did you two make it?_ "

"Rose is fine, Doctor," Chloe said, standing in front of the metal, pressing her forehead against it. "She made it."

" _Chloe…_ "

"It's ok Doctor, really. I'll-I'll see you. It wasn't your fault. Remember that, please? It was never your fault. I chose this, and you know what? I wouldn't have missed it for the world." Chloe tried to hang up, to disconnect the call before it happened, but

" _Exterminate!_ "

* * *

"I killed her."

He killed her.

_Her_ _,_ the woman who had just smiled at him sadly whenever he tried to force her to tell him something. _Her_ _,_ the woman who seemed to be able to read him when others had failed.

_Her_ _,_ the woman who he had torn from her home, just for what?

"I'm sorry." Van Statten had him turning, had the Oncoming Storm rearing his head.

"I said I'd help her. She was only here because of me, and you're _sorry?_ I could've killed that Dalek in its cell. But you stopped me."

The stupid ape only scowled, throwing his hands up. "It was the prize of my collection!"

"Your collection? But was it worth it? Worth all those men's deaths? Worth Chloe?" The man didn't answer, not quite looking at him. "Let me tell you something, Van Statten. Mankind goes into space to explore. To be part of something _greater_ _._ "

The human grinned at that, standing up. "Exactly! I wanted to touch the stars!" Did he not know what he had done? Did he not know how badly the timeline was going to be? Chloe Nightingale's personal timeline had been so interwoven with his own and Rose's, he hadn't been able to properly track it. And now...

"You just want to drag the stars down and stick them underground underneath tons of sand and dirt," he spat. "And label them. You're about as far from the stars as you can get." her face flashed in his mind, the scared, but determined one when she stepped forward, not letting the Quevvils take Rose away to be controlled by him. He remembered the pure _awe_ on her face as she looked at the distant galaxies, swirling and burning. How many trips did she officially have with him now?

He knew the answer.

All it took for him to lose the last bit of Gallifrey's science was four trips.

"And you took her down with you. She wasn't even from this world.".

* * *

She shouldn't be alive.

Chloe stared down at the Dalek, which had missed.

She should be dead.

Why wasn't she dead?

"Why're you doing this?" she asked instead.

" _I am armed. I will kill. It is my purpose._ "

"What good is a purpose if there's no real movement behind it?" She countered, sliding down to the ground. "The Daleks are dead, and everyone down here is dead because of-" she cut herself off. "They're dead because of us. We both know it would take one shot, so what're you waiting for?"

" _I feel your… sorrow._ "

That wasn't right. "I just watched people I swore to protect get killed. How the hell am I _not_ supposed to be sad?"

" _Daleks do not feel sad. Must not feel sad._ "

Part of her wanted to inappropriately giggle at the Dalek, but it quickly vanished as it shot either side of the door behind her, making her freeze.

" _You said I would regret going against you. I am contaminated. What did you do?_ " it demanded, but she shook her head.

"You're mutating. You ingested Rose's DNA, used it to heal yourself. Generations ago, Daleks could feel so much more than anger and hate. It was just made dormant in you. By touching you while weak, Rose woke it back up." she put her head against the door and let out a sigh. "I'm sorry, but you aren't a Dalek. Not anymore."

She could hear the robotic whirling as it moved around, glancing over to see it at a keypad that she knew wouldn't work anymore. Rather, it powered on the monitor, where she could see Rose, Adam, and De Maggio walk in, the Doctor and Van Statten very obviously arguing.

" _You will stand,_ " it ordered, making her raise an eyebrow, but stood anyways. " _Open the bulkhead or Chloe Nightingale will be exterminated._ "

" _Oh my god, Chloe!_ " Rose cried.

" _You're alive!_ " the Doctor added.

"It'll take more than a single Dalek to get rid of me," she half joked, doing her best to lean away from the laser pointer that was aimed at the small of her back.

" _I thought you were dead._ " the Doctor told her, his tone that dangerous quiet one that told her he was about to do something stupid for her sake.

"Doctor, don't," she warned, just as the Dalek cried. " _Open the bulkhead!_ "

" _Doctor…_ " Rose whispered, the blonde's voice echoing throughout the empty hall.

"Don't you dare! Don't you dare risk the world, not for me!" the redhead all but screamed. _Never for me..._

"What use are emotions if you will not save the woman you love?"

Chloe let out an aggravated noise, doing everything she could not to turn and glare at the alien. As if the Doctor could ever love her. Well, scratch that, there was _platonic_ love, but… her mind flashed back to when she had Jackie straighten her hair, making her grimace. _The Doctor doesn't love me_ _,_ she reminded herself. _It's just a line. It's just something it's using to manipulate the Doctor._

" _I killed her once. I can't do it again._ " The Doctor pressed something (the enter key, she knew) and the bulkhead raised, causing the screen to turn off.

"Well, congratulations," she said, a bit bitterly. "Note to self: don't be around Rose alone for the next week."

" _You will be silent,_ " the Dalek intoned, making her roll her eyes as they went into the elevator.

"I know you said to shut up," she began, causing it look at her. "But do you really have to kill everyone in the office? Like, I get it, they tortured you, I'd want payback too, but… don't you think the best payback could be keeping them alive, knowing that everyone else who died was because of how badly they fucked up?" _Like buying you to begin with_ _,_ she added, but not verbally saying.

" _Why are you alive?_ " it finally asked, and she resisted to say 'mood'. " _My function is to kill. What am I?_ What am I?" It got closer at the second question, but she just continued to look into it's eyestalk.

"I'm sorry," she said again, unsure of what she could say without doing any more damage. The elevator dinged and she stepped out, seeing Rose, Goddard, and De Maggio in a corner while Van Statten stood at one of the desks. "It's questioning its existence. Don't move, don't do anything unless told to."

" _Van Statten. You tortured me. Why?_ "

The man looked truly panicked, but Chloe just crossed her arms and cocked her hips, wanting to see the satisfying scene play out. "I-I wanted to help you. I just, I don't know. I was trying to help. I thought if we could get through to you, if we could mend you. I wanted you better. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! I swear, I just wanted you to talk!" As he spoke, the Dalek backed him up against the wall, it's gun pressing into his stomach.

" _Then hear me talk now. Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!_ "

But yet no shot came, as the eyestalk slowly swiveled towards her. "There's something else, isn't there?" she asked, getting no answer. "What do you want?"

For a few seconds, it didn't answer, looking between Chloe and Van Statten before settling back into her. " _I want freedom._ "

"Then follow me."

* * *

She stared at the hole in the ceiling before turning towards the Dalek, who hadn't moved yet. "Do you want to know how it feels?" she asked, moving to stand in front of the alien.

As the metal casing opened up, revealing the horrible alien inside, she could only watch in pity as it weakly reached out, feeling the sun for no doubt the first time in its life.

"Get out of the way." The Doctor demanded from behind her, but she shook her head, barely turning to look at him. "Chloe, we both know what this is; get out of the way now!"

"I've tried to change as much as I could, Doctor. What makes you think this isn't one of the things that's changed?" She countered.

"That thing killed hundreds of people." he spat.

"It's not the one about to fire a shot," she replied, narrowing her eyes.

"I've got to do this. I've got to end it. The Daleks destroyed my home, my _people_ _._ I've got nothing left." They stared at one another before she shook her head, turning enough for him to see the creature, who was relaxing in the sun.

"What's it doing?"

"All those years in the metal casing to protect themselves from the radiation, and they've never felt the sun," she finally said. "All it wanted to do was feel the sun."

"But it can't," he protested.

"By the time it caught up to me, it didn't want to kill anymore. It mutated and woke up dormant genes that allowed them to feel, to change." she paused, looking over at the leather clad man, hating what she was about to say. "What about you, Doctor? What are you changing into?"

The Doctor finally lowered the gun, looking ready to cry, and it made her heart twist. "I couldn't…" Chloe found herself moving forward and pulling the Time Lord into a hug, which he quickly reciprocated, burying his face in her hair. "They're all dead." he whispered.

"Gallifrey might be gone, Doctor, but you still have things left. Old companions, friends, the TARDIS. If you truly had nothing left… then you wouldn't have fought so hard to try and keep me and Rose safe." she murmured into his chest, and for a second, his hug tightened.

"Why do we survive?" The Dalek asked, quietly, and Chloe closed her eyes, knowing what was about to come. The Doctor pulled away from her to look at the other alien, but kept an arm around her waist, as if to hold her close.

"I don't know."

When it spoke, it was definitely weaker, as if it were dying. "I am the last of the Daleks."

"You're not even that. They did more than regenerate you. You've absorbed Rose's DNA. You're mutating, like Chloe said." the Doctor murmured

"Into what?"

"Something new. I'm sorry." he replied, but Chloe didn't know how to answer.

_A hybrid, but not THE hybrid, which is why you were damned from the moment Rose saw you_ _,_ she thought. "I'm sorry," she echoed, her words both towards the Doctor and the Dalek.

"I can feel so many ideas. So much darkness. Rose, give me orders. Order me to die." It glanced at her before closing its eye, and she could feel the Doctor's gaze on her.

"Do it," she was surprised when her own voice shook. "Terminate yourself."

"Are you frightened, Chloe Nightingale?" it's question had her pausing, the events of the day catching up to her.

"Yes," she whispered.

"So am I. Exterminate."

As the armor closed, the Dalek rose into the air and the balls on the lower body detached, creating a forcefield around the alien. A few moments later, the creature imploded.

For once in her life, Chloe didn't want to look at the Doctor.

* * *

Chloe leaned against the edge of the console, her stomach in knots as she stared at the piece of coral in her hands, having gotten it back from Rose once she had found them in the museum.

_"A little piece of home. Better than nothing."_ she could hear the Doctor saying.

_"Is that the end of it, the Time War?"_ The silence was long, and it made her stomach hurt more when the Doctor finally answered.

_"Chloe and I are the only ones left. I win. How about that?"_

_"I'd know. In here. Feels like there's no one."_

_Maybe if he didn't turn his brain off to think like humans, he would've caught Yana sooner, she mourned, but shook her head._

_"Do you… blame Chloe? For letting this happen?"_

_"If she didn't, all of us would probably be locked up now,"_

_"We'd better get out. Van Statten's disappeared. They're closing down the base. Goddard says they're going to fill it full of cement, like it never existed."_ Adam's voice said, making her scowl a little still.

_"About time."_

_"I'll have to go back home."_

_"Better hurry up then. Next flight to Heathrow leaves at fifteen hundred hours."_

_"Adam was saying that all his life he wanted to see the stars."_

_"Tell him to go and stand outside, then."_

_"He's all on his own, Doctor, and he did help."_

_"He left Chloe down there."_ She winced at the reminder of how much she changed stuff and… yeah, she was definitely going to avoid Rose for a week… maybe two...

_"So did me and you."_

_"What're you talking about? We've got to leave."_

_"Plus, he's a bit pretty."_

_"On your own head."_

She came to attention as the Doctor walked in, shoving the coral back into her pocket, unsure of how to approach the topic of it just yet. "How much-"

"Everything," she cut in, getting a slight grimace and a singular nod. "I don't trust him, if I'm being honest. I'd much rather bring De Maggio, but I understand why she wants to go back to her place."

_"What're you doing? She said cement. She wasn't joking. We're going to get sealed in. Doctor? What're you doing standing inside a box? Where's your friend? Rose?"_

She could see the blonde's playful look as Adam came into the TARDIS, his eyes wide with fear as he looked around. "Well?" Rose asked him.

"He's going to pass out," the Doctor murmured from beside her.

"Not yet," she said. "But on the topic of passing out, Rose is swaying, which means the adrenaline has worn off. Probably best if we took a quick rest before rushing off."

"A kip sounds lovely," Rose admitted.

The Doctor made a shooing motion, allowing Rose to drag the still frozen Adam deeper into the TARDIS before he turned towards her. "Rose mentioned you found something you wanted me to look at?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. I just… don't know how to phrase what I found?" she offered with a nervous chuckle as the ship hummed soothingly, and perhaps a bit excitedly? Chloe wasn't sure, aside from the fact that, maybe, she wouldn't be so lonely.

As soon as she pulled out the coral piece, it was gone from her hands, the Doctor holding it as if she had just put a newborn kitten in his hands, but, to be fair, she kinda did in a way. "Where did you find this?" he breathed.

"In a trash pile at Adam's workshop. She must've known to call for me, cause she kept tugging until I found her," she shrugged. "I-I don't know much about baby TARDISes but… it'll be ok, right? We got to her in time?"

She risked glancing up, and she could see the Doctor looking down in that shocked happiness with the widest grin. "You got to her just in time," he said, leaning down and pressing their foreheads together. "You are _fantastic_ _._ "

And then he was gone, no doubt to plant the coral so it could continue growing.

Chloe leaned back against the console again, running her fingers through her hair before letting out the most fangirlish giggle she never thought she'd ever do.


	30. The Long Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe things about her past and an argument comes...

Chloe elected to stay in the TARDIS to keep an eye on Adam while the Doctor and Rose went out onto Station 1. It was hard to believe that in less than a year…

Suddenly, she felt ill.

Less than a year, and the Doctor would become injured enough to regenerate.

In less than a year, one of them would have to look into the Heart of the TARDIS and almost die, and she was 90% sure that it would be her, mainly because _Bad Wolf_ had been showing up less and less, whereas _Songbird_ had started to become more and more popular around Powell.

She glanced around the console room, wondering how much would change. It had been a bit brighter, but it hadn't changed much. A few controls maybe? Chloe was brought out of her thoughts as Rose poked her head into the ship.

"Adam, Chloe? Out you come."

She was still dressed in her pink sweater and ripped up jeans, but she could see how Rose was starting to sweat. "At least we don't have to run much," she hinted, getting a relieved look from Rose.

"Oh my god," Adam said.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

"Where are we?"

She shared a look with the Doctor, who pushed off against the TARDIS. "So I figured, we could do a scale rating," he began. "One being a normal, boring visit and ten being, say, oh, end of the universe?"

"I can do that," she said carefully. "For better context, what would an event that messed with the Earth severely be? A five?"

"Sounds about right. So, you know this place, it's written on your face. Scale rating?"

Chloe looked at the grate that Rose was opening, towards Adam, then the TARDIS and then the Doctor. "Maybe a four or five? But it'll lead into a ten if we're not careful."

"Assuming I wasn't in the omega timeline?"

She blinked at the term, squinting at him. "Is, that, like, the original timeline? Without my influence?"

"You catch on quick," he praised. "Best not let them wander too far off."

She grinned, letting him tug her into the observation deck, where a polluted Earth rotated in front of them. "And this is…" Rose glanced back at them, the awe obvious on her face. Chloe was little better as she moved to stand on the blonde's other side. Even though it was polluted, seeing the Earth… it was still amazing. "I'll let the Doctor describe it."

"The Fourth great and bountiful Human Empire. And there it is, planet Earth at its height. Covered with mega-cities, five moons, population ninety six billion. The hub of a galactic domain stretching across a million planets, a million species, with mankind right in the middle."

Adam took a few steps back before letting out a rather girlish noise and fainting.

"He's your boyfriend." the Doctor reminded her.

"Not anymore." Rose sighed, making Chloe snort.

* * *

A couple minutes later, Adam was up and about, Chloe trailing after the three as they walked into an empty corridor, the numbers 139 big on the wall. "Looks like we're on the 139th level," she noted.

"How'd you reckon?" Rose asked, ducking under the Doctor's arm to look at her, causing the redhead to point up at the numbers. "Oh."

"Come on, Adam." the time lord continued on. "Open your mind. You're going to like this. Fantastic period of history. The human race at its most intelligent. Culture, art, politics. This era has got fine food, good manners…"

As soon as he said this, a man pushed past him. "Out of the way!" he barked, and almost immediately, the food stalls are open and people are pushing past the four to queue up.

"'Fine cuisine'?" Rose echoed, making the Doctor shift.

"My watch must be wrong." As he glanced at it, he frowned. "No, it's fine... weird. Chloe, what does yours say?"

"What does my what say?" She asked, making him frown more.

"Your watch. You've been wearing it since you started traveling with us again."

She looked down at her hands, ready to tell him she never wore watches when the flash of silver and gold made her stop. "I… I don't remember ever putting this on. But, it says April 19th, 2006? I think it's tied to my flat timeline."

"Sounds like your history's not as good as you thought it was," Rose teased, making Chloe snort.

"My history's perfect!" the Doctor protested.

"I can name five times, Doctor," Chloe retorted, making him go silent.

"They're all human. What about the millions of planets, the millions of species? Where are they?" Adam asked.

"Good question. Actually, that is a good question." he put an arm around Adam's shoulder again, steering him towards the Cronk Burger queue. "Adam, me old mate, you must be starving."

"No, I'm just a bit time sick."

"Nah, you just need a bit of grub. Oi, mate - how much is a kronkburger?"

"Two credits twenty, sweetheart. Now join the queue." the chef told him.

"Money. We need money."

"And here we go, robbing banks," she muttered, following him towards the cash point. "At least I don't have to touch a memory worm. God that's going to be disgusting if I have to do that."

" _Attention all staff. All coverage of the Glasgow water riots being transferred five through nine._ "

As she watched, the Doctor sonicked the point until a credit chip fell out. "There you go, pocket money. Don't spend it all on sweets." he told Adam before starting to walk away.

The human looked it over, glancing up at Chloe and Rose in bemusement. "How does it work?"

That made the Doctor stop and turn back to the three. "Go and find out! Stop nagging me! The thing is, Adam, time travel's like visiting Paris. You can't just read the guide book, you've got to throw yourself in. Eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double and end up kissing complete strangers." As he paused slightly, both her and Rose laughed for different reasons. "Or is that just me? Stop asking questions, go and do it!"

Adam finally walked away into the crowd, and Rose went to go follow him. "Coming Chloe?"

"What, and be a third wheel on y'alls date?" She countered.

"You're going to get a smack, you are." Rose threatened.

"I'm shaking in my shoes,"

The Doctor went one way, Rose and Adam went another, leaving the redhead to sigh and then head back towards the observation deck., leaning on the railings as she looked at the Earth below.

How was her family doing? Did they mourn her after the crash? How much of life has she missed, because she was watching Doctor Who, or Star Trek, or Supernatural instead of being out there and making friends? With a sigh, she leaned into the railing a bit more.

"Everything alright then?"

Chloe jumped at the Doctor's voice, turning to see him staring at her. "Yeah, I was just… thinking."

"Should I be concerned?" he asked, but she just shrugged.

"I was just thinking of home," she answered. "About my mom, dad, and brother."

"You've never mentioned your family before," he noted, voice quiet.

"Nothing really to note I guess. Mom and Dad were happy to have a girl, but I just… kept failing to live to their expectations, but when I got accepted into college they were so happy… I was on my way home to pack up so I could spend a week with them when the accident happened."

For a few moments, he was silent. "I'm sorry," he finally said. "You're only here 'cause I kept telling you in the future that you traveled with me."

"I- Doctor, that's not-"

"So you would be here if my futureself hadn't told you that you came with me?"

Chloe paused, thinking. She would be way more hesitant to join, definitely, but…She would've joined, right…? "I always thought I had to, but…" she murmured, not noticing how the time lord had tensed up and then relaxed.

"I'll try to find a way for you to get back to your dimension safely," he murmured. "You probably won't want to be here for much longer."

"What? Doctor-" she was cut off as Rose and Adam came into the room.

"There you two are. Thought you said you'd be right back," Rose noted. "You ok, Chloe?"

"I'm-" she paused, watching as the Doctor started to walk away. "I don't know anymore Rosie."

* * *

Chloe watched as Cathica stood on the octagonal platform, the Doctor's words still swimming through her head. Did she even want to go home? She thought back to her parents, who weren't really there unless she was doing something they didn't like, and her brother, who did his best to watch out for her, but grew distant as they both realized he had his own life to live.

Her life had barely started, years behind her peers, and she was just another face in the crowd, but here…

She glanced at Rose, who still seemed nervously glancing at her.

Here, she could make a difference and feel it's impact.

"Now, everybody behave. We have a management inspection. How do you want it, by the book?"

"Right from scratch, thanks."

As the human turned away, she saw the Doctor glancing over at her again

"Okay. So, ladies, gentlemen, multi-sex, undecided or robot,- my name is Cathica Santini Khadeni. That's Cathica with a C, in case you want to write to Floor five hundred praising me, and please do." Absentmindedly, Chloe nodded. "Now, please feel free to ask any questions. The process of news gathering must be open, honest, and beyond bias. That's company policy."

"Actually... it's the law." Suki spoke up quietly, making Cathica scowl.

"Yes, thank you, Suki. Okay, keep it calm. Don't show off for the guests. Here we go." As she laid down in the chair, Chloe forced herself to look away. Alien brains were one thing, but human brains still managed to freak her out. "And engage safety." Chloe could see everyone's expressions and agreed with Rose's and the Doctor's, whereas Adam's… "And three... two... and spike."

A blue light began to stream down from the thing above Cathica, going into the opening. "Compressed information, streaming into her. Reports from every city, every country, every planet, and they all get packaged inside her head. She becomes part of the software. Her brain is the computer." the Doctor told Adam and Rose.

"If it all goes through her, she must be a genius." Rose noted.

"Nah, she wouldn't remember any of it. There's too much. Her head'd blow up. The brain's the processor. As soon as it closes, she forgets." He began to walk around the room, circling the platform with Rose behind him.

"So, what about all these people round the edge?"

"They've all got tiny little chips in their head, connecting them to her," Rose knelt down next to the man across from Suki. "And they transmit six hundred channels. Every single fact in the Empire beams out of this place." He ended the circuit around the room beside her, leaning against the railing. "Now that's what I call power."

"Do you want to get out?" Rose asked Adam quietly.

"No. No, this technology, it's amazing." he protested.

"It's wrong," she said before the Doctor could. "It's out of date."

"Trouble?"

She didn't respond, instead looking at Suki. A second later, she pulled her hands away as if she had just received an electric shock. The others lifted their hands as the information beam shut down.

Cathica was scowling at her 'friend'. "Come off it, Suki. I wasn't even halfway. What was that for?"

"Sorry. It must've been a glitch." Both Chloe and Suki knew it wasn't, but Chloe watched as Cathica stood up, looking annoyed still as the alarm blared.

" _Promotion,_ " a voice blared as the words scrolled across the room. " _Promotion for Suki Macrae Cantrell. Please proceed to Floor five hundred._ "

"I don't believe it. Floor five hundred."

"How the hell did you manage that? I'm above you!"

"I don't know. I just applied on the off chance... and they've said yes!"

"That's so not fair. I've been applying to Floor five hundred for three years!"

Chloe watched their fight, unsure of what to say or do.

"What's Floor 500?" Rose asked the Doctor, who looked as grim as Chloe felt.

"The walls are made of gold."

* * *

"You don't seem very happy," Suki said to Chloe as they walked towards the lift.

"It's just some minor drama," she murmured back.

"Still, fights with the bloke aren't fun things."

"Oh, no, we-we're not together," she protested. "He's just a friend. Sides, I… don't think he wants me around anymore."

"Well, I hope you get it sorted out soon. You've both been my lucky charms, what with you helping me apply here years ago," Chloe blinked at Suki's words before mentally cursing at yet another circular paradox. As they got to the elevator, she could see Cathica putting on a fake face as Suki turned to her. "Cathica, I'm going to miss you! Floor 500…" She turned to the Doctor. "Thank you."

"I didn't do anything!" He countered.

"Well, you're my lucky charm." She shot back, and he grinned.

"All right. I'll hug anyone!" Why was it those five words that made a lump appear in her throat? Averting her gaze, she could see Rose walking over to Adam and decided to follow them.

"It's everything. It freaks me out. And I just need to... If I could just... cool down. Sort of acclimatise." Chloe rolled her eyes as she got close enough to hear Adam's words.

"How do you mean?"

"Maybe... I could just go and sit on the observation deck. Would that be all right?" At Rose's nod, he continued. "Soak it in, you know. Pretend I'm a citizen of the year two hundred thousand."

"Do you want me to come with you?" The blonde offered, and the redhead stepped forward.

"I'll stay with you Adam. Probably best anyways. The Doctor and I kinda… got into a fight." she said with a shrug.

She could see Adam cringe a bit while Rose nodded, looking a bit put out. "Here, in case there's something you need in the TARDIS or it gets too much for you." She took the key with wide eyes, not quite believing she was holding one.

"Yeah, like it's not weird in there," Adam muttered, but Chloe ignored him.

"Thanks," she breathed. "I'll give it back once you two are all finished here."

* * *

It only took a few minutes for Adam to try and waltz up to her. "So, like, is there anything you like to do? Chess? Hiking? Maybe mingling?"

Chloe glanced up from where she was reading _Jurassic Park_ _._ "Your attempts to both get into my pants and distract me from the fact that you still have Rose's phone are shit, hand it over." She held out her hand, watching as he took a step back.

"W-what are you talking about?"

"The cellular device from 2005, hand it over, now." she repeated, sticking her hand out more.

Adam then tried something she honestly didn't expect. "He's never going to like you. Not in the way you ever want." She stared at him in bewilderment. "The Doctor. He's not as impressive as you think."

"Oh, buddy, dearest _bastard_ , you think I don't know that?" She scoffed, closing her book with a snap and standing up. "You think that I don't know I'm an idiot for loving the Doctor? You think that I'm an idiot for knowing just how bad the Doctor can be, yet still think he's amazing and worth dying for? You're going in the TARDIS, and you're staying there until the other two get back."

He paused, looking between her and the blue box. "No," he told her before darting off.

"Son of a bitch!" she swore before chasing after him.

* * *

She was sitting in the corner of the cell when the door opened, revealing a grim Doctor.

"What happened?" he asked, stepping in and kneeling in front of her.

"He tried to get the key from me by seducing me and then insulting you," she began. "When I tried to get the phone from him, he ran off, and I was stupid and chased him and he had others call security, saying I was trying to hurt him, that I was spreading false news and was here illegally… He said that I stole his key to his suite and the guards took the key and gave it to him."

"Are you ok?" She shrugged at his question.

"Physically and mentally, yeah," she answered. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop him."

"You did your best," he told her, standing and offering his hand to her. Grabbing it, she let him pull her up to her feet. "Best say our goodbyes now then."

* * *

"We're just going to go. I hate tidying up. Too many questions. You'll manage." The Doctor told Cathica, who shook her head.

"You'll have to stay and explain it. No one's going to believe me." she protested, and Chloe elbowed the time lord.

"Oh, they might start believing a lot of things now. The human race should accelerate. All back to normal." the redhead did her very best not to facepalm, instead rubbing her palms against her legs. She was doing her best not to look at Adam, who was at the TARDIS with a sizable bruise on his face the size of Rose's hand.

"What about your friend?" Cathica asked, and it was as if the temperature had dropped twenty degrees more.

"He's not my friend." the Doctor corrected as he got up and started to walk over. Chloe gave the other woman a little parting grin before following him.

"-I've got the key. Look, it's… I know," he cut into nervous laughter as Chloe came closer. "It all worked out for the best, didn't it?" The Doctor grabbed the key before grabbing the _boy_ by his shoulder and unlocking the TARDIS. "You know, it's not actually my fault, because you were in charge." As the Doctor ignored him, he grew more desperate as Rose and Chloe followed them onto the TARDIS. "A-And her's! She knows stuff, stuff that you guys got angry at her about! She should've stopped all of this!"

"Oh, just shut up," she snapped as the ship stopped her shaking. Almost less than a second later, the Doctor was pushing Adam out of the ship, Rose stepping out while Chloe stayed in the doorway.

"It's my house. I'm home! Oh, my God, I'm home!" As he looked around, he failed to notice their glares. "Blimey. I thought you were going to chuck me out of an airlock."

"Is there something else you want to tell me?" The Doctor's tone was flat, which would've normally signalled red flags.

"No. What do you mean?"

"They saw you on cameras idiot," Chloe sneered. "What do you think he means?"

The Doctor picked up the answering machine and waved it in front of the human. "One second of that message could've changed the world." he put it back down and pointed the sonic at it, the phone blowing up a second later. "That's it, then. See you."

"How do you mean, 'see you'?" Adam protested.

"As in 'goodbye'."

"But... what about me? You can't just go. I've got my head. I've got a chip type two. My head opens."

"What, like this?" The Doctor asked innocently before snapping her fingers, making Adam's head open. Chloe quickly adverted her gaze, but she couldn't stop the snort that escaped her.

"Don't," Adam said, snapping his fingers as well.

"Don't do what?" The Doctor asked, snapping again.

"Stop it!" _Snap_

"All right now, Doctor, that's enough. Stop it." Rose interrupted.

"Thank you." Adam muttered, but Chloe reached forward.

_Snap_.

"Oi!"

"Consider it payback," she snarked. _Snap_. She stepped away from the door, going to the jumpseat and sitting down, putting her face on her palms as her fingers dug into her scalp.

How was she going to fix this?


	31. Just Them Two (Part 1) (Impossible Planet)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things go a bit off script...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long pause! I kinda forgot to update this side of the story x.x

Despite everything, Chloe was too jittery to sleep, and it seemed like the TARDIS wasn't willing to _help_ her go to sleep either, which led her to wandering the halls. Eventually, she came into the secondary console room, close to the Heart, where she could see the Doctor doing some maintenance.

She hesitated, unsure on if she should go in, but his words echoed through her head, forcing her to take a step in and clear her throat. He barely glanced up. "I'd thought you'd be sleeping," he said, making her shrug.

"The Old Girl really wouldn't let me," she answered, moving to sit on the floor beside him. "We need to talk about what was said today, Doctor."

"I'm not really in the mood for counseling," he warned, but she rolled her eyes.

"Then I guess it's a good thing we're not going to do that. You seem to be under the assumption that I'm here against my will, or that I only joined so the timelines will stay the same, and I'm going to set the record straight. In all the years I have known you, you have never once been able to force me to do anything. I am here, traveling with you, because I want to. Being here, it's…. It's always been my biggest wish, to see the stars up close the way you do every day. I was always so jealous, that it seemed like everyone around me in my dimension was able to be chosen to do something extraordinary while I was forced to just stand by and watch.

"And then I came here, and suddenly, I felt like I mattered. I felt like I was cared for." She took a deep breath. "So, no, Doctor, if you were to take me back to my Earth at this moment, I wouldn't step a foot off the ship. I'm here to stay for as long as you're willing to have me."

For a second, she thought that maybe pouring her heart out like that hadn't been such a good idea (for 9, anyways. 10, she knew, would get that sad, sappy look whereas 11 would just grin madly, 12 would grumble about how she was being emotional again, and 13 would just hug her so tightly) but then he grinned, giving her a smile that _finally_ reached his eyes. "Fantastic," he said. "You're not too knackered, are you? Been thinking of going on a quick run while Rose is sleepin'."

"Nah. Don't technically need to sleep," she shrugged, thankful that they had taken a few hours between the events of _Dalek_ and the events of _The Long Game_ _._ "Where are we going?"

"Anywhere in particular?" He asked, and she let out a hum.

Part of her wanted to know if events could happen out of order. Could River meet 9 and he be forced to remember it because of Chloe now being here? "Somewhere tropical," she said instead, thinking back on the white bikini she had seen in the TARDIS's wardrobe. He put the tools away, causing her to glance around the secondary console room a bit. "Do you need to do maintenance instead?"

"Nah, should be good for a few more months now," he answered, but she scrunched her nose up a bit. But she didn't know how to drive the TARDIS, so she wasn't exactly in a place to argue.

She didn't realize later on just how much that would come to bite her in the ass.

* * *

They managed not to wake Rose up as the TARDIS flew through the Vortex, though the ship was shaking far more than normally. Even the Doctor looked a bit worried as they landed, both shuffling out to look at the ship's exterior.

"I don't know what's wrong. She's sort of queasy. Indigestion, like she didn't want to land." he said, making her furrow her brows. "That look's trouble."

"Just… echos, I think," she muttered. "D'you think that she didn't want to land here cause _here_ is in danger or something?"

"Quite possibly. Let's have a look then. I think we've landed inside a cupboard." He reached past her and opened the hatch, allowing her to exit the storage space and into a familiar corridor.

" _Open door 15._ "

"Ah, a moon base! Lovely things, these. Humans build them out of kits."

" _Close door 15._ "

The wind was howling outside as they walked into a big dome with tables and chairs with a giant 3 on the wall. There was also writing. Writing that made her want to puke. "Deep Space exploration; all types of first contact! We've gone way out, and feel the vibrations? Someone's drilling."

" _Welcome to Hell,_ " Chloe read in shock, having yet to move from where she had stepped through after the Doctor.

"Why'd you say that for?"

"It's on the wall, Doctor." she nodded towards the writing, the big block letters and alien script that couldn't be translated and wondered how she was going to get out of this. "I think I just figured out why the TARDIS wasn't wanting to come here."

"So this wasn't an episode?" he asked, moving forward. "It's an old language; impossibly old if even the TARDIS can't translate it." She thought about lying and saying that this hadn't been an episode, but…

"This is an episode," she finally corrected, moving to stand beside him. "I just didn't expect it so soon. You're supposed to be here in your next regeneration."

"We're going to find out who's in charge," he said after a moment, moving towards the next door and turning the wheel. "We've gone beyond the reach of the TARDIS's knowledge. if someone's lucky enough…"

" _Open door 19._ "

Chloe couldn't help but jump at the sight of the Ood, who tilted their heads and blinked at the two. "You must be the owners then?" The Doctor asked. "Lovely base you have."

"We must feed." The Ood said in unison, making Chloe shiver.

"Pardon?" The time lord asked, bracing himself.

"We must feed." the Ood said again, moving forward, causing the Doctor to take a step back.

Chloe stepped forward, looking at the first Ood. "The Circle will be broken," she promised. "The orbs are malfunctioning; your message isn't coming through right." The lead Ood paused before shaking and tapping the white orb.

"We must feed. You. If you are hungry." they finally said. "We apologise. Electromagnetics have interfered with our speech systems." Chloe turned towards the time lord with a raised eyebrow, as if to say ' _see, I know what I'm doing_ '. "Would you like some refreshment?"

"That sounds amazing," she answered.

" _Open Door 18._ "

"What the hell?" Chloe looked at Jefferson and did a sheepish wave, taking a step back to stand next to the Doctor. "How did...?" The human stepped forward, hand going to his communication device. "Captain… you're not going to believe this. We've got people. Out of nowhere. I mean, real people. I mean two... living... people. Just standing here, right in front of me."

Chloe glanced up at the Doctor and bit her lip, unsure of to react to his bemused expression.

" _Don't be stupid, that's impossible._ " Zach's mic crackled to life.

Jefferson was still staring at them. "I suggest telling them that."

"This is a space base, right? You must have others visiting." the Doctor noted.

"Welcome to Krop Tor, Doctor," Chloe sighed. "Where the impossible becomes possible."

"What does that mean? No, wait, don't tell, more fun that way." He grinned, and she found herself rolling her eyes and grinning back.

" _Stand by, everyone. Buckle down. We have incoming and it's a big one. Quake Point 5 on its way._ "

As the base began to tremble, Chloe paused, looking back where they had came from. She trusted the TARDIS, yes, but… still, she was walking into a minefield. Having the blonde would be-

The Doctor grabbed her hand and began to pull her through the corridor, smoke rising up from the floor as it seemed to shake everyone. Sparks began to fly, forcing Chloe to duck her head, but continue running as she struggled to keep pace with the Doctor's long legs.

Finally, they came to the control room, where Toby, Ida, and Zach all looked up as the five ran into the room. "Oh my god," Zach said. "You meant it."

"People!" Scooti added. "Look at that! Real people!"

"That's us, hello! I'm the Doctor, and this is Chloe Nightingale."

"The oxygen must be offline. We're hallucinating. They can't be-" Danny walked over to them, poking Chloe on the arm. "They're real!"

"Yes, hello," she said to him in amusement.

"Sorry you two, whoever you are. Just… hold on. Tight." He continued. She reached over with her free hand and grabbed the railing, her metaphorical stomach in knots. "Ood, are we fixed?"

"Your kindness in this emergency is much appreciated."

"You said this was called Krop Tor?" He asked Chloe, who shrugged.

"Not officially," she said. "But it's the name we accepted 'cause it's what the locals outside of this base called it. Don't remember which, but it means "the bitter pill". Given where we are… it's very apt."

Ida looked at the Doctor like he was crazy, which was fair. "You really don't know, do you?"

"And... Impact!" Zach cried. The entire base shook violently as the crew, the Doctor and Chloe all clung on tight, but the first quake ended quickly. The Doctor let go and stood.

"That wasn't so bad-" he started before the second quake began, sending him falling backwards. Chloe reached out with her free hand, pulling him back to the railing as one of the consoles close to them exploded, sending sparks around the room. The humans were thrown around like ragdolls before it finally stopped.

After a minute, Zach let out an uneasy breath. "Okay, that's it. Everyone all right? Speak to me, Ida?" As everyone gave off their checks, Chloe let go of the Doctor's arm, sending him an unsure look.

"We're fine," he said, before glancing over at her. "Scale?"

She swallowed, eyes drifting up towards the ceiling. "About… a seven? It… it's going to be bad, Doctor."

Zach was looking at the map of the base. "The surface caved in. I deflected it onto storage 5 through 8. We've lost them completely. Toby, go and check the rocket link."

The man in question immediately protested. "That's not my department!"

"Just do as I say, yeah?"

As the man left the room, everyone else began looking over the various systems, Chloe still leaning up against the railing. "Sounds like a bad storm out there," she began, quietly, but still getting Scooti's attention.

"You acted like you knew where we are," she accused, but stopped when the Doctor stood beside her a bit straighter. "There's no air out there. It's a complete vacuum."

"Then what's causing all of this?" the time lord asked, making Ida let out a noise.

"You're not joking. You really don't know? Well, introductions. FYI, as they said in the olden days. I'm Ida Scott, science officer. Zachary Cross Flane, acting Captain, sir... you've met Mr Jefferson, he's head of security. Danny Bartock. Ethics committee.

"Not as boring as it sounds." Danny cut in, making Chloe and the Doctor grin at him.

"And that man who just left, that was Toby Zed, archaeology, and this... is Scooti Manista. Trainee maintenance." Scooti smiled at them, and Chloe's heart twisted, because in a few hours, she was going to be dead, consumed by the black hole… "And this... this is home."

Ida flipped a lever, causing the windows above to start to open. "Brace yourselves. The sight of it sends some people mad." Zach warned, and Chloe internally winced.

The room flooded with a red-ish light as the overhead window slowly opened, revealing a black hole right above the impossible base. The Doctor looked up, amazed, before glancing down at her.

"That's impossible," he told her, making her shake her head.

"Doctor, you do the impossible every day, it seems like. Like I said, Krop Tor is a place where 'impossible' isn't really a thing."

"I did warn you." Zach said, making her shrug.

"We're standing under a black hole."

"We're in orbit." Ida corrected.

"How?" He asked Chloe, making her rub her neck.

"I-I know how, but I don't _know_ how, y'know? All of it just kinda flew over my head. All I can really say is that we're in orbit due to something within Krop Tor."

"And is this something what causes the seven?" She stayed silent at his question, instead forcing herself to look up as the window closed again.

"This lump of rock is suspended in perpetual geostationary orbit around that black hole without falling in. Discuss." Ida intoned.

"A black hole's a dead star, it collapses in on itself until the matter's so dense and tight it starts to pull everything else in too. Nothing in the universe can escape it. Light, gravity... time... everything just gets pulled inside. We should be dead."

"And yet... here we are. Beyond the laws of physics. Welcome on board."

The Doctor moved forward, moving to the main control panel while Chloe stayed where she was.

" _Close Door 1._ "

"The rocket link's fine." Toby announced as he walked back in, Zach tapping a few buttons and a hologram of the black hole appearing in front of them.

"That's the black hole officially designated K37 Gen 5." He began.

"In the scriptures of the Veltino, this planet is called Kroptor.," Ida picked up. "Your friend, Chloe, she seems to know it enough. They called it 'The bitter pill', and the black hole is supposed to be a mighty demon. It was tricked into devouring the planet, only to spit it out. Because it was poison."

"How did you get here?" The Doctor asked, not looking off of the screen.

"We flew in. You see…" He pressed another button and the hologram changed to one of the planet with a gravity field emanating out from it like a tunnel. "This planet's generating a gravity field. We don't know how, we've no idea, but... it's kept in constant balance against the black hole. And the field extends out there 1s a funnel. A distinct... gravity funnel, reaching out into clear space. That was our way in."

"It's a trap," the Doctor suddenly said, and Chloe wanted to weep in joy and pain. "A group of human scientists finds something impossible, and they do what they do best: they go down to explore, 'cept the thing kept here, whatever it is, it wants out, so it creates a hole big enough for a ship, nothing too big, to land…"

"But there's nothing here," Scooti argued.

"You've been drilling," the Doctor countered. "You have impossible writing on the walls."

"The pottery," Toby added quietly. "It's nothing I've seen before."

"Oh my god," Ida said. "It's a trap, but why?"

"It wants out, but something is stopping it from leaving," she could see the Doctor glancing at her. She wasn't sure what made her meet his eyes, only that she knew a second later, he was nodding.

"Right, pack your bags and get back in that ship and fly for your lives." he said.

"And what about you two? How the hell did you get here anyways?" Ida protested.

"Oh, he's got a ship. It can appear in random and inappropriate places," she said, uneasily.

"I've just parked in the corridor from Habitation Three," he added.

Zach's quiet question felt as if she was being stabbed in the gut. "Do you mean storage six?"

"It was a bit of a cupboard," she saw Zach and Ida give each other uncomfortable looks as she glanced at her feet, the realization dawning on the Doctor's face a few moments later. "Storage six, but you said... you said storage five to eight." As he bolted from the room, her feet acted without prompt, causing her to run after him as they ran through the corridors. Finally, they came to the door that refused to open, and after the third time it refused to budge, he rested his hands on either side of the wheel. "You knew this would happen."

"What could I have said that would've changed any of this?" she pointed out.

"Anything!" he hissed, turning to her with angry eyes. "This could've been stopped!"

"No, it couldn't have. I think we both know that. If you want to be angry at me, then fine, that would make two of us, but you'll get the TARDIS back, Doctor." She snapped.

"And what about Rose? Did you not think she should've been with us?"

"She should be here instead of me, but she needs sleep, which was the whole point of us doing this," she motioned around the corridor, where Jefferson was awkwardly standing to the side. "In the first place. Besides, I trust the Old Girl to protect Rose." She paused, realizing how close she had gotten before stepping away. "I'm heading back to the control room, in case…" she paused, eyes going back towards the window that now showed Krop Tor's surface. "Nevermind."

* * *

It was about two hours after their argument that Chloe saw the Doctor again. Everyone else was already gone, leaving the two in a tense silence.

"I've trapped you here," he said, but she just shook her head.

"I'm fine," she said. "I can handle a little waiting."

"Still, you were right not to say anything. Even if I were supposed to be here next time, we wouldn't've had time to get to the control room before the collapse." he sat beside her. "Any chance you could repeat exactly how the science was explained?"

"Ugh, maybe five or six years ago," she admitted. "All I know is that there were a lot of 6's involved."

"Funny," he joked, but she just grimaced.

* * *

Chloe sat at one of the tables in Habitation 3, her head resting on her arms as the Doctor looked at the ancient text. Over the intercoms, she could hear Zach talking to Danny. " _Check the temperature of Ood Habitation. It seems to be rising._ "

Suddenly, the Doctor stood up, immediately making her raise her head, but she set it back down as she realized he was getting some of the… food? It was some type of slop, definitely. It neither looked or smelled good, especially as he sat beside her again, making her nose scrunch up.

"The Ood had more interference on the globes." he told her, making her nod.

"They talked about the beast, right?" As she said this, the lights flicker, making her close her eyes.

Ida glanced at the ceiling before talking into her communicator on her wrist. "Zach, have we got a problem?"

" _No more than usual. Got the Scarlet System burning up, it might be worth a look._ "

Chloe glanced up at the ceiling, her stomach twisting as her head started to hurt a bit. "You might wanna see this. Moment in history." Ida told them before pulling the lever for the shutters, flooding the room with the soft red light again. "There. On the edge."

Chloe could see the red lights going into the black hole, looking as if a cloud of red dust. "That's…" she murmured. _Depressing… I don't remember it being as depressing the last time I saw it happening?_

"That red cloud... that used to be the Scarlet System. Home to the Peluchi... a mighty civilisation spanning a billion years... disappearing. Forever. Their planets and suns consumed." As the last of the system disappeared, she could see the woman moving towards the lever.

"Could you leave it open?" she found herself asking. "I won't go crazy; I just wanna look at the stars a bit more." Ida paused before turning towards Scooti.

"Scooti, check the lockdown. Jefferson, sign off the airlock seals for me." The three left, going their separate ways, once again leaving Chloe and the Doctor alone again.

She couldn't help but glance at the black hole again. "Are there really some black holes that lead to different universes?"

"Not that one," the Doctor replied, as if in confirmation.

"Long way from…" she trailed off, her gaze shifting to the side, towards the stars that were being threateningly sucked in.

"A little bit more to the right," he said quietly, and she saw a pitch black area of space. "That's where the Seven Systems once were. Everywhere in space, if you look in that area, it's darkness."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, unsure what to say. She knew the vague details of the war, and she honestly didn't want to know anything more. "Is… have you ever…?" She wasn't sure if she wanted to ask if the area was still timelocked or if he had ever tried to go to the area where Gallifrey had once been…

"I haven't tried," his voice was on the edge of breaking, and she nodded, mentally backing away from the conversation, pulling out her smartphone 13 had given her a few months before Rose ran away.

"Even my phone from 2020 doesn't get reception," she noted.

"Has it been upgraded yet?"

"Most likely," she shrugged. "I've never noticed any signal drop at all for the years I've had it, but then again, I really only used it a couple of times." She sighed, letting the end of the phone gently thump on the table. "Well, it could be worse. At least they promised transportation."

"And then what?" the time lord asked, and the conversation flashed in Chloe's head, amusement spreading through her.

"Find a planet?" she suggested, seeing his head snap to her and eyes narrow at her amused tone. "Maybe get a job? Live a life or two like everyone else?"

"I'd have to be _domestic_ _,_ " he said in appalment. "I'd have to get a proper house with _doors_ and _carpets_! Me! Being domestic!" Chloe couldn't stop her giggles as even he seemed to be struggling with not laughing. "That is terrifying."

"You'd have to get a _mortgage~_ ," she sang, and his face went straight to mock horror.

"No…"

"Yep!"

"This is the end, it's over," he jokingly groaned, and Chloe hesitated, unsure if she should actually continue on… but she wanted to.

"I'd have to get one too," she began. "If this really does happen… maybe we could share?" If she glanced up, she knew he'd be stone faced and tense, so she just shrugged. "Mind you, that's if stuff doesn't happen, and I'm… I'm certain it will."

There was the tense silence again, and it made Chloe honestly wonder if she really should've brought in the more… _flirty_ spectrum of the conversation. "I promised Jackie I'd bring both of you back," he admitted after a few minutes.

"Everyone leaves eventually," she argued.

"Not stuck impossibly orbiting a black hole," he countered, but she just did a shrug.

"It's not that bad," she admitted. "I could've been stuck here without you."

"Suppose so," she risked looking with, echoing his grin, through it quickly fell as her phone buzzed in her hand, making her drop it as she paled.

"I forgot about this," she whispered. Setting her phone down on its back, she swiped up, answering it and putting it on speaker so that the Doctor could hear it. "Hello?" She called.

" _He is awake_ _._ "

Something about the Beast's voice activated her fight or flight, and a second later, she stared wide eyed at what remained of her phone, her fist having slammed down on it the second the creature had paused in it's talking.

"Doctor?" She asked weakly. "I think after this I want a nice, little, isolated tropical beach so I can scream without being disturbed."


	32. Just Them Two (Part 2) (Impossible Planet)

Chloe groaned from where she was laying in bed, her arm covered over her face as she did her best to fall asleep. "This is what got us here to begin with," she muttered, throwing the covers off of her and sitting up, looking at the clock.

02:34 stared back at her, making her want to scream as she glanced at her watch, noting how barely an hour had passed from when she looked at it when they had initially lost the TARDIS and, subsequently, lost Rose. Standing up, she rubbed her legs before pacing the room, the headache from before (Brainstorm, she recalled the Doctor calling it once during the whole 1924 debacle) coming back with vengeance.

"Just go already," she muttered to herself. "He'll understand. He'll help."

 _But what if he makes you miss everything?_ That doubting voice in her head mocked, sounding too much like Valeyard for her liking. _What if he makes it to where you're dead asleep while Krop Tor falls into the black hole?_

"Shut up!" She growled, pulling on her hair. "Why does it have to be you I hear? Leave me alone!"

_Like how he'll leave you once your newness disappears? You won't get any words said to you, Songbird, no matter how much you want them to be said._

"Shut up," she turned around, 180, and walked through the doors, all but storming down the hall until she came across the room the Doctor had pointed out was his, where she proceeded to lose all bravo she had. She raised a hand, gently resting it on the door before sighing and stepping back. "Why am I such a coward?" she murmured.

_Because I know the second I turn brave is the second I die..._

* * *

Chloe could barely think straight the next day as her and the Doctor walked into the Ood Habitation. "Morning!" He greeted Danny, who Chloe nodded to.

"The mysterious couple. How are you, then? Settling in?" Danny asked, barely glancing up from the computer.

"Fine, thanks. Had a lovely night's rest, right Chloe?" She barely withheld a grimace, instead just giving him a tight smile.

"Yeah," she lied.

"So, the Ood, how do they communicate? With one another?" The time lord looked over the balcony, towards the Ood who were sitting in an animal-like pen.

She moved towards Danny, who glanced up at the Doctor. "Oh, just empaths. There's a low level telepathic field connecting them. Not that that does them much good. They're basically a herd race. Like cattle."

"Your viewpoint on alien life is disgusting," she snapped. "They have the same, if not more intelligence as us."

"Are you alright Chloe?" The Doctor asked, making her grimace.

"Fine," she muttered. "Head just hurts a little."

There was a pause as the Doctor frowned at her. "This telepathic field, can it pick up messages?"

Danny glanced at the two of them again. "We've got whole star systems burning up around us. There's all sorts of stray transmissions. Probably nothing." As they just stared at him, he started to squirm. "Look... if there was something wrong, it would show. We monitor the telepathic field. It's the only way to look after them. They're so stupid, they don't even tell us when they're ill."

"I can't," she muttered. "I'm gonna go to Hab 3. Have fun with the xenophobic."

* * *

Perhaps storming off hadn't been the right choice, but damn was it satisfying.

At least, up until she got into Hab 3 and the base shook violently, causing her to curse as she realized what had just happened.

" _Emergency hull breach. Emergency hull breach._ "

" _Everyone... evacuate 11 to 13, we've got a breach! The base is open. Repeat: the base is open!_ " Zach ordered from the intercoms, and things began to spark.

"How the hell have they not blown up yet?!" She half demanded to herself before remembering _Bowie Base One_. She wasn't sure how badly she paled, only that she ducked under a table and watched as Jefferson, two crew members she's come to identify as John and Lawry, came from one side, whereas the Doctor and Danny came from the other.

" _I can't contain the oxygen field, we're gonna lose it!_ " Zach was still yelling on comms, and she watched, grip partially tight on the bolted down table as they filed into a different corridor, not once glancing around to see if she was there.

It was only a second later that she realized she should've followed them. After another thirty or so seconds, the shaking stopped. " _Breach sealed. Breach sealed._ " The computer announced, making the redhead sigh in relief before slowly releasing her grip, wincing at how there were no indents on the metal that aligned perfectly with her fingers.

About ten seconds after she finally convinced herself to crawl out from under the table and sit down properly, the door opened, revealed a worried looking Doctor who relaxed at the sight of her. It took him five steps to reach her, and she barely had time to blink before she found herself in a hug.

"I'm fine," she murmured.

"Have you seen Scooti?" Ida asked, and Chloe's heart sunk as she shook her head. The other woman let out a concerned noise before heading towards the fourth door. "Scooti, please respond, if you can hear this please respo... Habitation 6."

Jefferson finished his searching, shaking his head. "Nowhere here. Zach? We've got a problem. Scooti's still missing."

Chloe didn't want to gaze up; the scene had been horrifying in the show, and she was here, now, living it...

She barely had a thought to realize the Doctor was still hugging her as she smushed her face into his chest. " _Look up_ _,_ " she whispered as quietly as she dared, immediately feeling him tense up more.

" _It says Habitation 3._ "

"Yeah, well that's where I am, and I'm telling you she's not there."

"She is," the Doctor said, voice grim. "She was in the area of the breach." She could hear the others gasp as they no doubt looked up.

"Oh god," Ida murmured.

"I'm sorry," Chloe whispered again. "I didn't think to stop it…"

"Captain... report Officer Scootori Manista PKD... deceased. 43K2.1."

As the silence filled the air around them, it felt as if, instead, Jefferson had read her name instead.

* * *

"All non-essential Oods to be confined."

Chloe watched as the aliens shuffled away before turning her attention to the, well, makeshift elevator, where the Doctor was arguing on if they should go down the shaft or not. He was arguing _against_ it.

"Do you have a suit that could fit me?"

Her question had them all looking at her as if she were crazy. "We don't even know who you are," Zach began, but she just gave a sad smile.

"You can't possibly be thinking of letting Ida go down there on her own," she shot back. "Look me in the eye and tell me you don't think the odds are better if I go with her."

The human hesitated before meeting her eyes. "I should be going down,"

"The captain goes where he's needed most. And, right now…" she paused, glancing around. "Right now, that's here, not in some weird drill shaft with no air."

Zach let out a bitter laugh. "Not much good at it, am I?" She quirked an eyebrow before he motioned over towards the orange suits. "Universal size; adjusts to the wearer.

"Handy," she commented before going over, the Doctor catching her arm a second later.

"Chloe," he said. "What's going on?"

"It's… It's bad, Doctor. You're supposed to be the one going down, because… I can't even say without ruining everything," she let out a little huff. "Just… promise me that when you're told to get on the ship, you won't fight and stay? There won't be enough time to get both of you if you do."

They stared at one another before he nodded, letting her arm go and allowing her to put a suit on.

As she turned around, she did a little bow towards the time lord. "Well? Can you tell if it's one of the gucci ones?"

"Ha!" he laughed, circling her, jabbing playfully at one of the items on her side. "

"Oxygen, bit unnecessary for you... nitro-balance... gravity. It's not top notch, but nothing to laugh at either. Keep it in one piece and I might be able to add some more to it."

"Is that your way of telling me to be safe?" Chloe teased.

She expected a smile and for him to walk away, but instead, he leaned down, resting his forehead on hers. He straightened up a second later, and Chloe forced herself to breathe as she realized - _that would've been the first time the Doctor considered her a friend._

11 had told her it was something Gallifreyans did due to being touch telepaths. She had taken it at face value, but always meant to look it up. "I'll see you," he told her.

"Not if I see you first."

" _Capsule active. Counting down in 10... 9... 8... 7... 6…_ "

Stepping onto the elevator beside Ida, her fake stomach felt like it had rocks and butterflies in it as the gate closed. _Please,_ she thought mainly to herself, _let the telepathic circuits work._

" _5... 4... 3... 2…_ " Jefferson gave the two women a salute, and the redhead did her best not to flinch as she waved them goodbye. " _Release._ " Chloe glanced at Ida as the capsule shook as it went down. " _Gone beyond the oxygen field. You're on your own._ "

Ida immediately switched her oxygen tank on, but Chloe hesitated, deciding not to. "What the hell are you doing? Turn it on!" the woman hissed.

"Ida, I'm not human," she said quietly. "I don't need to breathe. I have an O2 tank so you could have a spare."

"But you look human…" Ida narrowed her eyes.

"I was built, not born. The Doctor's species, they came first, so I was made to look like one of them." she explained, just as the comm crackled to life.

" _Don't forget to breathe Chloe,_ " the Doctor warned, making her wince.

_"Doctor, stay off the comm,"_

_"And risk missing the details?"_

"I told Ida, Doctor," she cut in, holding the radio down. "No one else. The suit is holding up nice though." Just as she said that, the capsule shook violently, causing Ida to fall onto her. As they held tight to one another, Chloe looked up and grimaced. "And here's when the fun begins. I'm glad I decided to come down here."

A few seconds later, the capsule reached the ground. " _Ida, report to me... Chloe?_ "

"We've made it." Chloe announded. "Stepping out of the capsule now."

" _What's it like down there?_ " The Doctor asked.

"Do you have a Grav Globe?" Chloe asked, getting a nod and the orb was thrown up into the air.

"That's... that's... my God, that's beautiful."

"And, unfortunately, this is where we stop," she gently tugged the other woman back. "Hey Toby, we found your civilization. You'd have plenty of work… if you weren't, y'know, possessed by the literal devil."

" _What the hell are you on about?_ " Jefferson demanded, making her roll her eyes as Ida gave her a weird look.

" _Keep on the mission, and don't say that about one of my crew,_ " Zach cut in, sounding just as cold. " _Ida... what about the power source?_ "

"We're close. Energy signature indicates north, north west. Are you getting pictures up there?"

" _There's too much interference. We're in your hands._ "

"Well... we've come this far. There's no turning back."

" _You had to say it. That's almost as bad as 'nothing can possibly go wrong'._ " The Doctor complained, making Chloe shrug.

"Are you finished?" Ida asked dryly.

"I mean, he has a point," Chloe agreed. "Hey ask Danny if the Ood have said anything yet, or if they're still staring at him." There was about two minutes of silence that had her and Ida shuffling around until they found the trap door that had Chloe grimacing.

" _Telepathic field is at Basic 100. What the hell aren't you telling us Nightingale?_ " Zach demanded, making her roll her eyes.

"I already told you; one of your crew isn't who you think he is. Sorry, but he's been brain dead since shortly after we got here."

" _Stop that slander right now,_ " Jefferson ordered.

" _Chloe, is there anything else you can tell us? Anything at all?_ " the Doctor asked carefully, and she could hear the others muttering in the background.

She hung her head as she spoke. "We just found a trapdoor." she said as an answer.

"The edge is covered with those symbols." Ida added.

" _Any way of opening it?_ "

"I don't know. I can't see any sort of mechanism."

" _I suppose that's the writing, that'll tell us what to do. The letters that defy translation_."

"Toby, did you get anywhere with decoding it?" Ida asked, and Chloe found herself slowly sitting down as the silence came by before-

" _These are the words of the Beast and he has woken. He is the heart that beats in the darkness, he is the blood that will never cease. And now he will rise._ "

The voice seem to come from everywhere, and it sent her nerves on end as Ida turned to her, eyes wide. "What is it? What's he done? What's happening? Zach? What's going on?!" There was no reply from both Chloe and the comms, making the woman panic more.

"Calm down," she said. "You're just wasting your O2. Everything will be fine, Ida. I promise."

"Those symbols are all over his face! They're all over him." Jefferson's voice suddenly came through the comms.

"I have to go back up," Ida snapped, walking towards the capsule.

"It's the Ood. I don't know what it is, it's... it's like they're possessed."

The ground shook again, and Chloe just barely pointed her flashlight towards the trapdoor as it began to open. "Ida, get down! As close to the ground as you can!" She yelled, pulling her away from a falling rock that would've had her tipping into the hole.

The shaking didn't stop, but the trapdoor was now wide open as smoke rose from the pit, the voice speaking again. " _The Pit is open. And I am free._ "


	33. Just Them Two (Part 3) (The Satan’s Pit)

After the shaking stopped, it took Chloe a minute to find their commlink. "We're here!" She said. "Sorry, we're fine. Almost dropped the comm."

" _You could've said that earlier,_ " The Doctor scolded.

"The seal opened up. It's gone. All we've got left is this chasm." Ida reported.

" _How deep is it?_ " Zach asked.

"At least 10 miles," Chloe answered.

" _But there's nothing? I mean... There's... nothing coming out?_ " Chloe could feel Ida's eyes on her as she pondered the question.

"No sign of 'the Beast'." she finally said.

" _Ida? I recommend that you withdraw. Immediately._ "

"But... we've come all this way!" Ida protested

" _That was an order. Withdraw. With that thing open, the whole planet's shifted. One more inch and we fall into the black hole. So this thing stops right now._ " Zach snapped, making Chloe grimace.

"But it's not much better up there with the Ood." Ida rebutted.

" _I'm initiating Strategy Nine, so I need the two of you back up top immediately, no ar-_ "

Chloe was surprised when the woman turned her comm off and turned to her. "What do you think?"

"That you were given an order," she commented idly.

"Well, yeah, but what do you think about," she trailed off, motioning towards the pit.

"' _I am the temptation_ '." Chloe found herself quoting, unable to deny even to herself the tugging she felt in her gut, telling her to jump down.

"Why's it still hiding?"

"Because both the prison and the cell is open," Chloe sighed. "He's already out, we just have to get him back in."

"We'd go down to do it," Ida murmured. "I'd go."

"In a second," Chloe agreed. "It's that little intrusive impulse, right? Just echoing over and over again, _jump, jump, jump_. One of mine even says 'do a flip'." That got a laugh and she considered it a win as she grinned. "But, as of now, we have no way of going down there, so we'd best go back." She reached over and took the comm back before turning it on. "We're coming back now," she announced.

" _There's some good news,_ " The Doctor said. " _Any sign of the TARDIS?_ "

"We're still about ten miles too high," she answered regretfully. "Sides, I don't exactly have a key to open it, and my cell got smashed last night."

They stepped into the capsule. "We're in," Ida said. "Bring us up!"

After a few seconds, nothing happened before the lights went out, making the redhead groan. "I don't want to hear this."

" _This is the Darkness. This is my domain. You little things that live in the light... clinging to your feeble Suns... which die in the... Only the Darkness remains._ "

" _This is Captain Zachary Cross Flane of Sanctury Base Six representing the Torchwood archive. You will identify yourself._ "

"Shit, Torchwood, I forgot," she got a look from Ida.

"You know of us?" Ida asked, allowing her to tune out the Beast's voice.

"Considering I apparently help build it, yeah, I'd say I know of y'all."

" _Which one? There's more religions than there are planets in the sky. The Archivits... Pordonity, Christianity... Pash-Pash, New Judaism... Sanclar... Church of the Tin Vagabond. Which devil are you?_ " The Doctor demanded.

" _All of them._ "

" _What, then you're the truth behind the myth?_ "

" _This one knows me, as I know him. The killer of his own kind._ "

" _How do you know about that? How did you end up here?_ "

_"The disciples of the Light rose up against me. And chained me in the pit for all eternity."_

_"Sounds lovely. How recent was this then?"_

_"Before time."_

_"What does 'before time' mean?"_

_"Before light and time and space and matter. Before the cataclysm. Before this universe was created."_

"I can hear his mind breaking from here," Chloe muttered.

_"No life could have existed back then."_

_"Is that your religion?"_

_"It's a belief."_

_"You know nothing. All of you. So small. The Captain, so scared of command. The soldier, haunted by the eyes of his wife. The scientist, still running from daddy. The little boy who lied... The virgin... And the lost girls, so far away from home. The injured songbird who will fail at everything and the valiant child who will die in battle._ _"_ She saw red and made a grab for the comm.

"You leave Rose out of this," Chloe snarled. "She shouldn't even be on your radar anymore, _Beast_. You hear me? I don't fucking _care_ if I fail, leave her _alone_ _._ "

" _Chloe, calm down,_ " the Doctor quietly murmured.

" _You will die... and I will live._ "

Everything went into chaos, everyone talking over one another before there was a sharp screeching noise that had everyone going silent before the Doctor talked. " _If you want voices in the dark, then listen to mine; that thing is playing on very basic fears. Darkness, childhood nightmares, all that stuff._ "

" _But that's how the devil works._ _"_ Danny protested.

" _Or a good psychologist. Ask Chloe, she's one._ "

"I'm a _therapist_ _,_ " she grumbled.

"But... how did it know about my father?"

" _You know something? We have two advantages over him. One: there are several brilliant humans in this base. Humans, who looked at a black hole, and instead of running away, they decided to land and make base. To gather data and information humanity never thought about ever getting._ "

"You're not alone," Chloe added quietly. "The captain, his officer, his elder, his genius, his friends. The Beast is alone. We aren't."

" _And we can use that to fight against him-_ "

There was a loud bang, and Chloe immediately pushed Ida out of the capsule, jumping out herself as the cable landed inside of it. She heard the other woman trying the comm before groaning at the static.

Standing up, she brushed her suit off before glancing over. "How much air do you have?"

"Sixty minutes," she answered before pausing. "Fifty-five," she corrected.

"Right, well, I'll do most of this, you just focus on preserving your oxygen. We got the cable, so now I can go down. Feed the line through the drum."

"Abseil," the other woman murmured. "That Rose girl the Beast talked about,"

"My goddaughter," Chloe answered. "The Doctor and I, we travel with her in our ship, and she was asleep when we came by here. I hope she's still asleep."

"I hope she is too."

* * *

Chloe ended up needing some of Ida's help, if only just securing the cable around her. "How's it feel?" She asked her, stepping away.

"Good. Hopefully this works," she mumbled, walking over to the edge of the pit. "I…" she trailed off, mouth going dry before she turned around. "Did you know, I'm scared of falling? Like, deathly scared. It was a stupid trust fall thing my brother did, and instead of catching me, he just let me hit the ground. And now this… this is another trust fall thing," she laughed bitterly.

"Are you sure I shouldn't-?"

"No, you wouldn't survive," she interrupted. "Sides… we have to face our fears sooner or later, right? No time like the present!" She forced herself to step back, off of the edge, and…

She wasn't aware she had started screaming until the cable went taunt, causing her to cling to it, eyes squeezed shut. "Chloe, are you okay?!"

"I never want to do that again!" She called back. "The walls, they're the same as up there. I can see about twenty feet down with the flashlight before it goes dark again. Keep lowering me down please."

* * *

" _Is it really the devil?_ " Ida asked as Chloe knew that the cable was going to run out soon.

"Unfortunately," she replied. "I don't know if he really is the original or the last of his kind, but… it's certainly real, whatever he is."

" _Not something I want to think about._ " Ida murmured just as the cable jerked her to a halt. " _That's it,_ " Chloe shakily removed a hand from the cable and pushed a couple buttions on her wrist. " _What does the readout say?_ "

"Nothing. I'm guessing between thirty to fifty feet though," she replied, very slowly undoing a hook.

" _Are you sure this is the right way to go?_ "

"You bring me back up, and we're going to sit there while you run out of air and the Beast escapes Krop Tor. I have to, Ida." she explained, perhaps a little too bitterly.

" _I… I don't want to die on my own._ "

"No one does," she replied. "But I'll make sure you won't. You have an hour left of oxygen, right? I'll be back, promise." She released another clip, and then another. "You were brought up Neo Classic, right? No devil?"

" _Yeah, just, um, the things that men do,_ " Ida answered. " _You?_ "

"I was raised like an early 21st century Christian," she replied. "I hated it all the way. Think that's part of the reason why my parents didn't like me that much. Nowadays, I consider myself Agnostic. I travel because I want to be proven right… or perhaps wrong." She got to the final clip and let out a shaky sound. "Thank you, Ida."

" _Don't go!_ "

"When they get back in touch, which'll be in a minute or so, and when the Doctor asks, can you…" she stopped, trying to ignore how much her head pounded. "Can you tell him I wouldn't've changed it for the world?" With that, she forced the clip to let go, causing her to fall down into the darkness below.

* * *

Chloe woke up with glass brushing up against her face.

Blinking, she slowly sat up and took her helmet off, trying to get glass out of the suit. She grasped the radio that was on her suit. "Ida, can you hear me? I've landed in the air pocket." There was just static, making her nod silently to herself.

Suddenly, there was a tremor, causing her to glance up. _The rocket_ , she thought, watching as it slowly left Krop Tor.

Turning away, she walked down the hall, shining her light at the drawings on the walls. "The Doctor and River would absolutely love this," she murmured. "All this history in one place, set before time itself…"

She reached the vases and immediately heard the beast's growl. She didn't even bother to turn towards him as she continued to look at the vases, up until he roared in what she could only assume was annoyance.

"Oh, shut up," she snapped. "If you're expecting some long, one sided speech about how you shouldn't exist, I'm not sorry to disappoint. I will give you one about how much of an idiot you are. Oh, but then again, all of your intelligence conveniently went up into a rocket ship that can get glass blown out with one shot," she glanced up at the rocket, doing her best mental math through the pain. "You think I won't be able to make the sacrifice of the ship, but there's one thing you're forgetting. I don't hesitate when it comes to trusting my allies. You think, that through everything I've seen, all of the death and darkness that follows him, that I don't believe in the Doctor, and that? That, _Akatriel*_ , is your end."

Chloe quickly picked up a rock and slammed it against one of the vases before doing the same to the other. She dropped the rock and ran down the tunnel as fast as she could, a blast of air knocking her right into the TARDIS.

Literally into the TARDIS.

Standing up immediately, she bolted to the console, swearing her fake heart skipped as she saw the telepathic circuits appear before her eyes. Ripping the gloves off of the suit, she slid her fingers in and closed her eyes.

 _Come on Old Girl,_ she thought. _Let's go get Ida and then save the Doctor._

A sharp sense of amusement and eagerness ran through her, sending a chill down her spine as she could hear the console start beeping and whirling, and judging by Ida's sudden gasp, she had a feeling the ship was trying to fly as smooth as possible.

_Can we get both the rocket and the Ood?_

Something flashed before her eyes; she could see herself and the TARDIS on Krop Tor, getting the oods, but the rocket was too close to the black hole to fish out, even for the Old Girl.

_I see… let's get the Doctor then. Access my memories so you can do whatever the Doctor did with the whole tractor beam thing if you need too._

Another pulse, and she could definitely hear Ida talking. "What is this place?"

"This is the TARDIS, the Doctor's ship. She's sentient and helping me save the others," she answered. "Is there any way to patch through their comms?" she added for Ida's sake. A whoosh of confirmation later and she could hear the humans in the rocket asking what was happening. "Not sorry about the hijack. Now, Doctor, you weren't stubborn, were you?"

" _Oi! I'm not the one who jumped down a ten mile hole._ "

"You're welcome," she snorted before grimacing. "I couldn't get the ood, but I do have Ida."

"She's alive!" Zach exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yes! Thank God."

"And I'm awake," Ida added. "We'd honestly be dead if it weren't for these two, Captain."

Something beeped, and a second later, she could hear the door opening. "Clever girl," she heard the Doctor say.

"I try," she shot back, slowly opening her eyes and grinning at him. "I don't know how to get out."

"You're like a kitten and a ball of yarn. Always tangled up in trouble." He laughed as he reached over and gently extracted her hands. "What happened?"

"I broke the helmet, and then to use the interface I had to rip the gloves," she answered, trying to purposefully dodge the question.

"In the pit," he specified

"I saw an alien, who was red skinned, fifty feet tall, had horns and was chained to various walls." she replied as evenly as she could. "I saw historical paintings and artifacts that would've been amazing to learn about but… it was telling the truth. That was the biggest thing that always made things so much worse. Whatever that creature was, he told the truth and… and it scares the hell out of me."

"It went into the event horizon," he said, squeezing her hands. "It won't be an issue any more."

She wanted to argue, to say she remembers it getting to earth thanks to his son, but… "I should've just stayed in bed," she mumbled, reluctantly pulling her hands away.

The Doctor didn't say anything, instead choosing to turn to the console. "Zach? We're off now. Have a fun trip home. And the next time you get curious about something... oh... what's the point? You'll just go blundering in. The human race…"

" _Hang on though, Doctor. You never really said... you two... who are you?_ " Ida asked, and she risked glancing at the time lord.

"Oh… we're just travelers doing some good in the universe," he replied flipiantly before pulling a lever, causing the rotor to turn on.


	34. Father's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't touch...

"Peter Alan Tyler, my dad. The most wonderful man in the world. Born 14th of September, 1954."

Chloe's head still briefly stung from the two day brainstorm Krop Tor had given her four days ago, the Doctor having been hesitant to take her anywhere after she revealed it refused to go away completely, but the mention of Pete had her head pulsing again.

Where had she heard these words from again? "He was always having adventures. That's what mum always says. So, I was thinking… could we? Would we go and see my dad when he was still alive?"

 _Oh_ , she thought numbly, _right, the reapers. The second most terrifying thing in this world._

"Where's this come from, all of a sudden?" the Doctor asked. Chloe looked up from where she was leaning against the second jump seat that had appeared only the day before, and quickly noted that Rose was looking between her and the Doctor.

"All right then, if we can't, if it goes against the laws of times or something, then never mind, we'll just leave it." the blonde mumbled, and Chloe all but snorted at her attempt to manipulate the time lord.

"No, I can do anything. I'm just more worried about you." he replied.

"I wanna see him." Rose confirmed.

"Your wish is my command. But be careful what you wish for." He stood up and offered a hand to Chloe, who took it. "Event?"

Chloe mentally hesitated, but her mouth moved before she could stop it. "Not that I know of? Pete's mentioned a couple of times, so I assume this is more of a book or comic event."

Why? Did she really hate herself that much?

Judging by the bright grin the Doctor gave her, she would be inclined to say yes. Shaking her head, she turned to Rose, who wasn't quite looking at her. "Did… did it really say stuff 'bout him?"

It was a loaded question, but Chloe nodded, gently pulling the girl into a hug. "Oh, Rosie, he loved you _so_ much. More than life itself."

* * *

As it turned out, her brainstorm had only gotten worse while they sat at the back of the crowd, watching Jackie's and Pete's marriage ceremony. "I thought he'd be taller," Rose murmured.

"Sometimes we embellish stories of those we love. Or sometimes, our imagination builds up something that life fails to hold up," Chloe murmured back.

"I'd never thought to ask," Rose said towards her after a few seconds. "Would you ever want to," she motioned towards the altar, making the redhead blink and tilt her head.

"I don't know," she finally said. "Maybe. I haven't exactly found anyone I'm interested in who has shown interest back. Well, aside from Jack, but he's _Jack_ _._ "

"Jack?" The Doctor asked, making her shrug.

"Future companion? He travels with y- _us_ in… a couple weeks? It's soon, and he's considered the third member of Team TARDIS."

"Fourth," Rose corrected, sending a pointed look towards her.

"I don't count," she protested. "Now hush, we're here so you can see this."

* * *

"He died, just outside of the flat. Nobody was there; the driver didn't bother to stop. I wanna be that someone. So he doesn't die alone."

"November the 7th?" The Doctor asked, making Chloe grimace and stand up.

"My head still hurts," she admitted. "I think I'll… I'll try to lay down."

At their nods, she did her best not to sprint down the halls, cursing herself as she walked into her room. Going into one of the wardrobes, she pulled out the shoebox and began to add in details to the _Father's Day_ page.

Was it bad that part of her wanted to get erased with the TARDIS when the Reapers initially came?

Ok, yeah, that was pretty bad.

Sighing, she laid down on her bed, desperate for the headache to go away.

* * *

" _Chloe?!_ "

She jerked awake on a park bench and looked around, instantly spotting the blue box and the Doctor. Hearing growling, she didn't even bother looking up as she darted forward, the time lord seeing her across the street.

"What the hell is happening?!" she cried, running beside him.

"Reapers; we have to get back to Rose." She could hear the reapers behind them as they came into view of the church and, in turn, came into view of Rose. "Rose! Get in the church!"

There was a reaper above Rose, about to form, and she kicked it into overtime, tacking the blonde as it swooped.

"Get in the church!"

Pulling her up, Chloe helped a few others before the doors were shut, unable to stop Stuart's father from running out.

"They can't get in. Old windows and doors, okay. The older something is, the stronger it is. What else?" The reapers let out a screech and she gave the Doctor a panicked look. "Go and check the other doors!" he told her, and she quickly went into the antichamber, checking the windows and doors as she went.

"I should've said yes," she mumbled once making sure everything was ok. A reaper screamed again, landing against the window, making her take a couple steps back. "I could've stopped this…" Swallowing, she shook her head and went back into the main room.

"That's the very first phone-call, Alexander Graham Bell," the Doctor was saying as he handed over a clunky phone. "I don't think the telephone's gonna be much use."

"The doors and windows on that side are clear for now. One looks like it's been replaced recently though." she reported. "Doctor, what are those things? Why are they here? How can we stop them?"

"They're called Reapers. Nothing in this Universe can harm those things. Time's been damaged and they've come to sterilize the wound." Rose, the adult, came up beside her and the Doctor glanced at her. "By consuming everything in sight."

Rose looked ready to start crying. "Is this because... Is this my fault?"

The Doctor didn't answer, instead guiding Chloe away and leaving Rose alone.

"Doctor," the redhead found herself saying. "What happened?"

"An ordinary man lived when he was supposed to die," he answered as quietly as she had spoken. "And it's all my fault."

"How? How did you come up with that fact?"

He didn't answer, instead leaving her beside a pew to look over the doors and windows again.

* * *

She wasn't sure how long had passed since the Reaper invasion had begun, only that her watch was frozen. Well, no, not quite frozen. It kept ticking every four seconds, the same four seconds, like when River had spared the Doctor instead of killing him.

She didn't know whether it was safe or not to bring that up with the Doctor, who was talking to the different guests. She could also see Rose by the altar, face full of tear tracks as Pete walked up to her. They talked for a few minutes before embracing, and she could see Jackie's lips turn up into a sneer.

Suddenly, a reaper walked along the glass window, causing everyone to go silent just before the large doors shook.

Chloe took a deep breath, put her head between her knees and did her best to count to twenty.

* * *

Somehow, she ended up sitting beside the Doctor, playing with baby Rose as he talked to the infant. "Now, Rose... you're not gonna bring about the end of the world, are you? Are you?"

"So is this before or after you learn to speak baby?" she found herself asking.

"Oh, I know it. She's just bein' stubborn." he replied. "I reckon you're used to baby Rose."

"Ha, no, I moved to Powell when she was 12." The Rose she helped raise joined them after she said this, making the Doctor look at her.

"Jackie gave her to us to look after. How times change," he joked.

"Maybe for you," she teased.

"I'd better be careful. I think I just imprinted myself on Mickey like a mother chicken." Rose joked, voice weak as she reached out to touch her younger self, but the Doctor quickly grabbed her hand.

"No. Don't touch the baby." Chloe's breath hitched, and she mentally prayed that they didn't connect the dots between her laughing at that to now- the reapers let out a loud, ear piercing screech that had baby Rose start to cry before the Doctor continued, leaving the redhead to try and calm the baby. "You're both the same person and that's a paradox, and we don't want a paradox happening. Not with these things outside. Anything new, any disturbance in time makes them stronger. The paradox might let them in."

"Can't do anything right, can I?" Chloe's heart broke at the blonde's words, and she let out a pained noise.

"Since you ask, _no._ So, don't... touch... the... baby." The Doctor said, slowly.

"Doctor," she murmured. "Don't,"

"Don't what?" he asked, sounding annoyed.

"Please don't make me choose. One hand, she shouldn't have saved Pete," Rose winced. "Other, the laws of time haven't been explained to her."

There was silence, and she could see the internal war going on. "I'm sorry," he finally said. "I wasn't really gonna leave you on your own."

"I know,"

"But between you and me, I haven't got a plan. No idea." She glanced back up at the window, shivering slightly as she realized that the reaper wasn't there anymore. "No way out."

"You'll think of something." Rose tried making it better, but the Doctor just shook his head.

"The entire Earth is being sterilised. This, and other place like it, are all that's left of the human race. We might hold out for a while, but nothing can stop those creatures. They'll get through in the end. The walls aren't that old. And there's nothing I can do to stop them. There used to be laws stopping this kind of thing from happening, my people would have stopped this. But they're all gone. And now I'm going the same way." He explained.

"If I'd realised…"

"Just... tell me you're sorry."

"I am. I'm sorry." Chloe watched as the two hugged it out before Rose jerked away. "Have you got something hot?"

There was a sizzling sound before there was a bright glow and the sound of a key being dropped on the floor. "It's the TARDIS key! It's telling me it's still connected to the TARDIS!"

Chloe set the baby back down into her car seat before standing up on the pew and whistling as loudly as possible, getting everyone's attention. "Listen up y'all! The Doctor has an important announcement that you'll want to hear!"

"Thank," he said as she moved to sit down. "The inside of my ship was thrown out of a wound but we can use this to bring it back. And once I've got my ship back, then I can mend everything. Now, I just need a bit of power. Has anybody got a battery?"

"This one big enough?" Stuart asked, holding up his father's phone.

"Fantastic." the Doctor took the battery out of the phone and began to sonic it, looking around. "Just need to do a bit of charging up and then we can bring everyone back." The others began to murmur hopefully before going silent as the doors shook violently once again.

Once it became apparent that the reaper wasn't coming in just yet, Chloe moved to stand beside the Doctor. "Doctor, I… what happens if this doesn't work? Am I a secondary wound?"

"Why would you say that?" he asked, frowning at her.

"I'm not supposed to be here," she answered. "I changed events in the most heinous of ways. _Am I a secondary wound?_ "

He hesitated, and it made her stomach knot up. "Yes," he finally admitted. "But you have no chance of interacting with a younger you, so they don't know you yourself is the cause."

She blinked, forcing herself not to cry. "And what happens if everything gets consumed? You said everything of _this world_ _._ "

"You wouldn't be able to exist without being tied to something," he instantly said. "You would've faded away in a couple years otherwise. I most likely tied you to the TARDIS; she's a reliable thing."

"Y-yeah, she is," the redhead agreed weakly before sitting down as the doors rattled again.

* * *

The three ended up sitting shoulder to shoulder at the back of the church, Pete close to Rose as Jackie glared at him. "When time gets sorted out…" Rose began.

"Everybody here forgets what happened. And don't worry, the thing that you changed will stay changed." the Doctor answered, making Chloe look away.

"You mean I'll still be alive," Pete correctly, making Chloe nod almost immediately. "That's why I haven't done anything with my life. Why I didn't mean anything," he mumbled.

"Peter Alan Tyler," she found herself saying. "You made one of the most important humans on the planet. You're not useless."

Rose reached over, putting her hand on Pete's arm. "This is my fault," the blonde started.

"No, love. I'm your dad. It's my job for it to be my fault."

Chloe could see Jackie a second before the others, and managed an 'uh oh' before she appeared, all but breathing fire. "Her dad? How are you her dad? How old were you, twelve?" She could see the Doctor starting to move away, but she caught his arm and slightly shook her head.

' _Baby_ ', she mouthed, and his eyes widened.

"Oh, that's disgusting," Jackie finished.

Pete stood up. "Jacks, listen. This is Rose." he tried to explain.

Despite being angry, the elder blonde knew to keep her voice low as she held her infant daughter to her. "Rose? How sick is that? You give my daughter a second hand name? How many are there? Do you call them all Rose?"

"Oh, for God's sake, look! It's the same Rose!"

Pete moved to take the baby, but both Chloe and the Doctor stepped forward. "The Roses can't touch!" Chloe snapped. "It's a paradox, and a paradox is what let the Reapers out in the first place."

"Please, as if they're the same," Jackie scoffed.

"Mum-" Rose, the older one, spoke, and Chloe winced.

"Don't you dare!" Jackie yelled, her voice just barely raising. Upon seeing that the woman wasn't going to let her baby go any time soon, Chloe glanced at the time lord.

"Doctor, if Rose's past is changed; if she's raised with a father… there's a good chance I'm still going to fade away,"

"Explain," he demanded, whirling on her.

"Initially, my reason for being here was to make sure Rose's timeline stayed intact… well, for the most part, anyways. If I've faded, but my influence remains and Rose never took that job at Henrik's…"

"The timeline would be destabilized. Time itself would collapse," he finished. "We can figure out a way with this new timeline,"

"At what cost?" she countered quietly. "At what point do we decide to play god? At what point do we stop caring about the people?"

"You're suggesting-"

"Doctor, Pete loved Rose. He loved her more than life itself," she fixed him with a pointed look.

"So this was an episode."

"I don't know why I said I didn't know. But Doctor, Pete Tyler can _not_ live past today. No matter how many corrections we do, _nothing_ will compensate for this one man."

He looked at her. "What do you know?"

Swallowing, her mind flashed to Canary Wharf, and Rose's 'death'. "I can't say," she finally said, voice cracking as she looked away. "God, everything that needs Pete Tyler dead is stuff I can't talk about until it's over."

"Tell me when they happen," he finally said. "Tell me the events that were so important, they cost an innocent man his life."

As he walked back towards them, Chloe could only stand, frozen, his words repeating in her head as Jackie finally got so annoyed that she put Baby Rose into Adult Rose's arms.

"No!" the Doctor cried, too late to grab the baby before a Reaper came into the church. Everyone around her screamed. "Behind me!" She could feel someone drag her, putting her at the back of the church but… "I'm the oldest thing in here."

Horror leapt up into Chloe's throat as the Reaper swooped down on him and for the tiniest of seconds, she swore she could hear flesh tearing before the Doctor was gone, consumed, and the Reaper swooped around the church before colliding with the TARDIS, making both of them disappear.

As Rose went to go pick up the key, Chloe's ears began to ring as her fingers went numb. Glanding down, she was relieved to see she hadn't started to fade just yet and instead moved towards Rose. "It's cold," Rose told her in shock. "Oh my god… he's dead…" Pete came up to them, but Chloe shook her head at him. "It's all my fault… all of the people here… the whole world…"

"This is it. There's nothing we can do… it's the end."

Chloe couldn't find anything to argue against the statement.

* * *

About fifteen minutes later, Chloe was desperately trying to hide her missing hands as she sat down beside Rose.

At thirty, she lost feelings in her legs.

"What'll happen to you, once we're all gone?" Rose asked quietly.

"I'll fade away," the redhead answered. "Forever trapped within the void to be forgotten."

"The void?"

Chloe's lips twitched. "Some call it hell." The blonde immediately looked sickened.

"Chloe…" she whispered. She then did the one thing the redhead didn't want her to and tried to grab her hand, collapsing the arm of her jacket. "What…"

"I am… I _was_ … tied to the TARDIS. It was the only thing keeping me around. Since I've spent years here, I've became dependant on it. When the Reaper bumped into it and shifted it back into the void…"

"You…" tears formed in Rose's eyes. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Chloe looked at her with a sad, but happy expression. "I'm your godmother, Rosie. It's my job to worry about you, not the other way around."

* * *

She faded away twenty minutes after that.

* * *

Now let it be said, dear readers, that the void is exactly what they say it is.

A long, black hall extending forever, never to end, never to have any light.

Chloe Nightingale didn't know how long she was in there, only that, in the end, she deserved it and more.

* * *

Chloe Nightingale woke up in a bed, with a familiar being sitting beside her.

"Where…?" She rasped, making the time lord look up.

"Easy," he said. "You were trapped in the void for possibly a year."

Chloe's heart immediately stopped as she blinked at him. "Ja-"

"It's only been fifteen minutes for Rose," he answered. She instantly knew what the _for Rose_ was, and instead nodded slightly. "Do you need anything?"

Chloe paused, thinking back to the ramblings and quotes she had said over and over, trying to remember why she was there and desperately trying not to think about the darkness that had been everywhere she looked. "Notebook," she finally murmured. "Eccleston One. Please."

"Right away. Stay there,"

As the Doctor left, Chloe closed her eyes, and for the first time in a year, let out one of the most painful sobs she had ever felt.


	35. Rose’s Break (Intermission)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe needs a break...

Things weren't the same once she could make full sentences again, and everyone they came in contact with over their small, boring trips could sense the tension between the three.

As it turned out, Rose came into the console room, talking about visiting her mother, the blonde not once looking at the redhead.

"Maybe a week," she was saying to the Time Lord. "Three at most?"

"Of course," the Doctor agreed.

"And don't try to skip ahead," she tacked on. "I want to be called every night." She had a suitcase with her, no doubt full of dirty clothes, and she was awkwardly by the door, as is reluctant to leave.

"Rose," Chloe tried, wanting to tell her she didn't have to go if she didn't want to, but the blonde had flinched so hard when she reached out, it made her pause and reconsider. "Be safe," she finally said instead. The blonde nodded slightly, and when the TARDIS landed, she quietly slipped out of the door.

* * *

Somehow, they ended up on the Rings of Akhaten, and Chloe immediately wandered off on purpose, catching sight of Clara talking to the Queen of Years…

"You're a long way from home."

Chloe bit back a yelp as she turned around, jabbing the 11th Doctor in the chest as he grinned down at her. "Do not," she hissed before relaxing. "It's wonderful to see you,"

He raised an eyebrow. "If I recall right, you immediately ran away from me before I could explain where we were."

"Then you're recalling wrong," she sniffed, but was unable to keep the smile off her face. There was… something wrong. His smile didn't quite meet his eyes. "What's wrong Doctor?"

"Do you…" he trailed off and fidgeted a little. "Do you remember the only visit I did with Big Ears?"

"Vaguely," she replied. "We'll get in a row about locking memories or something like that."

"It's going to happen soon," he warned. "The memories, at least."

"Why are you telling me this?" She asked.

"Because I remember getting upset at the sight of an unknown, pretty boy cozying up next to my immortal companion." Chloe blinked at his words before noticing how close they were and let out a laugh.

"Chloe, there you are! There's a stall over this way you need to see at least once in your life," the 9th Doctor called, and the redhead mentally snickered as she let herself get herded away.

* * *

They continued the small trips, bouncing from planet to timezone, the Doctor steering her away at the hint of adventure.

"Where do you want to go to next?" The Doctor asked for possibly the hundredth time, but Chloe knew it was only really the 15th time (her watch showed that only fifteen hours had passed, and that somehow, they had done a trip an hour).

She was getting antsy, and her mind wandered. "Somewhere tropical," she said. "I want to run."

"Let's see…" the Doctor pulled a screen over towards him and began to almost look through the planets. "Need to do a quick pitstop for some parts, and there's a few that fit the bill of tropical…"

She looked over his arm, watching as he scrolled past the planets before settling on one.

"Here we go. Taragrea IV. In the 31st century, it's known as the best resort in the universe. Perfect UV beaches, tropical waters where you can see up to twenty two miles down. They have invisible submarines for full submersion too!"

"But what happens if it breaks? Must be a pain, figuring out what's broken," she joked. "Is this a part planet too?"

"Gets scrapped in the 35th century and ends up being claimed again in the 36th. By that time, the entire world is covered in a singular city, Taraveil. Humans aren't allowed."

Her gaze flickered over to him as he said this before looking back at that planet.

"I think 31st century Taragrea sounds wonderful," she finally said. "But 36th sounds better. It's a good thing I'm not human, huh?"

"Fantastic," he quipped, putting the screen back and pulling some knobs and levers. "Chloe Nightingale, you will not regret this choice."

"Ha, no, I won't," she agreed, and neither of them noticed the slowly fading, blinking light coming from underneath the grates.

**Author's Note:**

> If you see something wrong, have a question, or just want to let me know what you think, please, leave a comment!


End file.
